Well this is it! The last day of 2013. This year has gone by in a flash. It’s crazy how fast time is going, I guess that’s what happens when you’re busy!
I hope 2014 is a happy and prosperous year for all. Wishing you all much success and good health and many happy moments with loved ones. Let’s make 2014 the sweetest year yet!
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
I came across this image on a cake decorator’s Facebook page and immediately had to share it. This definitely describes me and it made me laugh, especially the looking like the house was robbed part, ’cause when I’m making something I leave my stuff everywhere! Do you know (and love) someone who fits this description??
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
I saw this idea on Pinterest, and immediately knew we had to make it. As any parent of a small child knows, they grow WAY too fast, and I thought that this was a great way to spend some quality creative time with my little one, while making a keepsake for us to look back on through the years. She loves crafts just like I do, so she was all for it!
Materials:
– a plain, plastic ornament (it can be matte or shiny, just make sure there is NO design or glitter on it. The plainer the better, ’cause you will dress it up!)
-fabric ribbon in a coordinating colour (to hang your ornament)
-white and orange acrylic paint
-a foam brush
-an egg carton to use for drying the ornaments
-a black permanent marker
-a small brush or cotton swab
Make It:
-make sure that the ornament tops are secure and tie ribbon on for hanging.
-this step is probably the most fun and resulted in lots of giggles! Paint the palm of your child’s hand with the white paint using the foam brush. Make sure all of the hand is covered, including the tips of the fingers
-have them hold their hand out, fingers apart. Hold the ornament right side up by holding onto the ribbon at the top, and place the ornament in their palm. Have them cup their hand around the ornament, being careful not to move the ornament around so that the paint doesn’t smudge.
-you should have a tiny handprint on the bottom of the ornament, with the thumb and fingers wrapping around and up the sides which will look like snowmen
-place the ornament handprint-side up into the egg carton to dry
-once dry, paint on carrot noses and add faces, arms, and buttons with the black marker
-on the opposite side (where there are no snowmen) paint on the year, your child’s name, or a holiday greeting. I chose to add the year so that we would know how old she was when we made these.
-add some “snowflakes” by dipping the cotton swab into the white paint and then adding some dots around the snowmen.
You can also add trees, glitter, or other embellishments, but we decided to keep ours simple. We actually ended up making a few of these to give out as gifts to family, and we kept one too of course. This was a fun and easy craft, and something that can be done every year and held onto forever!
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
Thank you for following me on my baking and creative adventures. May your holidays be filled with love, laughter, and many happy memories with your loved ones. And of course, some delicious treats too! Hope your Christmas is the merriest ever 🙂
Have a sugarrific Christmas!
M xoxo
Baking and cake decorating definitely requires having a lot of supplies. Like, a lot. Some of them are just plain necessary and some just make life so much easier. Since many people will be receiving and giving gifts in the next few days, I though I would compile a list of my top 10 favourite supplies to help out those looking for gift ideas or stocking stuffers for the cake decorator or baker in their lives. This is by no means an all-inclusive list, but these items are my favourites that are guaranteed to be useful and will most definitely not be re-gifted!
1. A Stand Mixer
Don’t worry boys, this is one “appliance” she won’t mind getting. I got my Kitchen Aid mixer for Christmas two years ago and it was the best gift ever. I use it constantly and it is much better than the old hand mixer I was using. It is also pink, which happens to be one of my favourite colours so I also love to display it. If you’re looking for one gift for the cake decorator or baker in your life, this one is it.
2. A Marble Rolling Pin
Like I said in a previous post, I love my marble rolling pin. It rolls dough and fondant effortlessly and it stand up to a LOT of use. Awesome.
3. Wilton Roll & Cut Mat
This is a necessity. You can roll out fondant and dough on it, and it has a handy grid for measuring. It is easy to clean and store and also very useful for working on fondant and gum paste accents as it contains the mess to the mat.
4. Food Colour Markers
These are like markers you draw with, but filled with food colour so they can be used on edible mediums. They are very handy for embellishing cookies and fondant and gumpaste figures or accents. Definitely worth having.
5. Fondant/Gumpaste/Cookie cutters, X-Acto Knife
These are definitely a must-have. There are different kits out there that include everything from flower cutters to alphabet and numbers as well as ones for different seasons and occasions and they make life so much easier than hand-forming of hand cutting everything. They can all be used for both fondant and gumpaste as well as cookie dough, so they are a real investment and you definitely get your money’s worth. Plus you get some fabulous and professional looking results. An X-Acto Knife used only for edible items is also extremely useful. It cuts fondant cleanly and easily and provides a clean edge you can’t get with a regular old knife. This is great for both covering cakes with fondant as well as for making embellishments.
6. Cake Pans
These are kind of obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t have proper cake pans. You don’t need to buy out the kitchen section at WalMart, but a few good quality pans in different shapes and sizes are definitely necessary. They also come in sets (for tiered cakes) and they are very sturdy and stand up to a lot of use and washing. Another very useful investment.
7. Piping Bags & Tips, Plastic Decorating Bottles
Again, kind of obvious but super useful, not just for decorating cakes and cupcakes but cookies too. It is also a good idea to have several of the most common tips (like the #2 and #3) so that you can use multiple colours of icing without having to empty and re-fill your piping bags. Wilton makes a few very handy sets that come with the most common tips which is a great place to start. The plastic bottles for candy-making are a life-saver for cookie icing. You can use them to decorate cookies and then store the icing in them after. They are reasonably priced, easy to find, and very durable.
8. A Cake Turn Table and Offset Spatulas
This handy little gadget allow you to turn your cake while frosting it so that you get perfectly even sides and tops. Much better then walking around the table in different directions to even out every spot on your cake. Offset spatulas in different sizes are very useful for both smoothing out both the filling and frosting on your cakes, ensuring a perfectly smooth and even finish every time. Way better than spreading frosting with a knife!
9. Icing Colours
Since nobody wants all-white cakes all the time, these are another must-have. There are a plethora of colours and types out there, but they all add some vibrant colour to your edible creations. Use them for colouring dough, fondant, gumpaste, frosting, waffle or pancake batter, etc. They are reasonably priced and can be purchased in sets or individually. A little also goes a long way so they also tend to last for quite a while.
10. Somewhere to Store Everything!
All supplies need a home! Plastic containers with lids are probably the best bet, since they are washable, stackable and sturdy. They keep everything organized and where you need it. Wilton makes some specifically for cake supplies, but really, any kind of sturdy container would do. Different sizes also help to keep those tiny items in place!
There you go, now start (or finish!) shopping! Your favourite baker might just thank you by making you something awesome with all their new supplies!
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
We all know kids love cookies! So when I was asked to send in a treat for my daughters class party at school, I knew exactly what to make. She requested Christmas shapes of course, as well as Olaf the Snowman from the Disney movie Frozen. I made these and sent them off to school, and was later greeted by a very happy teacher and an empty tray. What a great way to start off their winter holiday-with bellies full of festive cookies!
A selection of the different shapes:
These two were my favourites!
The tray that went to school:
Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas baking 🙂
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
Since I made wreaths for Halloween/Fall, you know I had to make them for Christmas too. Also because I was tired of the one I had and needed something new. And my neighbour stole my decorating idea, but that’s a story for another day.
I saw ornament wreaths all over Pinterest and in the stores, and decided I wanted to make my own. I wanted lots of colour to match my multicoloured lights, so I went in search of ornaments. I think I ended up purchasing about 80 of them, maybe more. I have to admit that after being mesmerized by so many different colours and textures, I may have gone a little overboard. I got most of them at the Dollar Store, so it wasn’t too expensive, plus you can never have too many ornaments, right?!
Christmas Ornament Wreath
Materials:
-wreath form (I got mine at Michael’s again, it was some straw-type thing, but I knew I needed a solid surface for the ornaments to stick to so it worked out well)
-plastic ornaments in large, medium, and small sizes (lots of them!)
-hot glue gun and glue sticks
-ribbon in coordinating colours
Make It:
-this went much like the Halloween wreath. First, cover all work surfaces with newspaper to avoid a hot glue and glitter mess. You can also spice things up by using a current Shoppers Drug Mart flyer and then watching a family member look all over for it. Ooops. It was quite amusing 🙂
-I made the bow first again, and attached it to the wreath form with some hot glue. This way, I knew where to place the ornaments around the bow. Also make sure to attach some ribbon for hanging. You can also add a small ornament or other accent to the bow, like I did with the snowflake.
-I then started to attach the ornaments in a kind of zig-zag pattern around the wreath form, alternating large and medium ornaments. I left the small ones to use as space fillers at the end. You’ll want to watch your placement so that the wreath still looks like a wreath, and since the ornaments are difficult to manipulate once they’re glued on. Then just keep adding ornaments until the wreath is full. I also used bits of a garland in between the ornaments to fill in spaces and add some sparkle.
I’m not gonna lie, this took forever. Like 4 hours. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I couldn’t rest until the wreath was as close to perfect as possible. For my first ornament wreath, I think it turned out well. I’ll be sure to wrap it very well at the end of the season, since I’m not sure I want to do this again next year!
Here it is! So sparkly and irresistible, just the way I like it 🙂
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
We had some hideous snowy weather in the last few days, so I couldn’t resist making some snow-themed cookies. Plus, it gave me an excuse to hide in the house away from all the yucky snow.
I made these using my sugar cookie recipe, and cut them out with a large round scalloped cutter. To decorate them, I used white, blue, red, orange, and black 25 second icing. For the heads, I used large marshmallows, and drew eyes, a carrot nose, and mouth on with icing. I wanted to give them a cute “surprised” look. I also added some rosy cheeks with pink luster dust. Then I let them dry for a few hours.
I then outlined the cookies with kind of a squiggle, to represent the melted bottom half of the snowman, and then filled them in all in one step.
As soon as the outline was filled in, I attached the snowman’s head so that it could stick to the wet icing. I did them one at a time to make sure the marshmallow stuck well. Then, once the base icing had dried for about 20 minutes, I added a scarf to my snowman.
Once that had dried a bit too, I went back with black icing and added stick arms and buttons.
I made different versions of the snowman, some were girls and some were boys. The girls had a bow on their heads and a scarf, and the boys had either a scarf or earmuffs in different colours. I also made some snowflake and swirly cookies which I think complemented the snowmen nicely.
They were easy to make and turned out great! They would be delicious with some yummy hot chocolate. Now if we could just get the real snow to melt….
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
As you may have guessed, I don’t only enjoy baking, but pretty much anything “crafty”. I love making things, refurbishing items I already have, and just making things prettier in general. It’s so much more fun for me to make something myself than to purchase it at a store, plus it ensures that each item is a one of a kind. ‘Cause I don’t like having the same stuff as everyone else. And since this blog is all about being creative, I want to share my other crafts with my loyal followers too 🙂
Anyway, this brings me to my latest non-edible project. I decided to make wreaths a while ago, back in October actually. I think having a nice wreath on your door is very pretty and elegant, and I went with the Halloween/fall one this year instead of other (scary) door decorations, as my little one suddenly decided she was scared of everything to do with Halloween. I know that wreaths are not a new thing, and that they are readily available in stores, but as usual I decided to do things my way by making my own.
So, I will share with you how I made these. I didn’t take “in progress” pictures, but they are pretty easy to make, although it does take a bit of time to ensure they look just right.
Halloween/Fall Wreaths
Materials:
-wooden or styrofoam wreath form (I got mine at Michaels)
-fall leaves, pumpkins, gourds, berries, etc.
-Halloween garland (black sparkly leaves with purple sparkly berries-I loved this!)
-ribbon in coordinating colours
-hot glue gun and glue sticks
Make it:
-first, I covered my work area with newspaper. This is a must. Hot glue and sparkles can get everywhere fast.
-I then wrapped the black garland all the way around the wreath form, securing with a few dabs of glue here and there.
-the next step was making the bow and securing that to the form too. Warning- I am not a professional bow maker. I just sort of made loops and secured it with wire until it looked like a bow. Then added glue to make sure it stayed put. You can also buy an already made bow, to make things easier.
-next I started adding the “foliage” to the wreath. There’s no right or wrong way to do this, just kind of go along and fill in the space on the wreath form. Keep adding items until it looks full and “fluffy”. Make sure that every piece you add is securely glued to the form, because if it isn’t you may have some runaway leaves or berries or pumpkins each time you open/close your door.
-when it looks nice and full, hang it on your door and you are done! Now sit back and enjoy the envious looks from your neighbours 🙂
Holiday greetings.
You’ve all heard them. You’ve all probably said them. And that’s perfectly ok. Take a deep breath people, holiday greetings are nothing to get upset about.
Lately, I’ve seen a lot of annoying posts on the lovely Facebook of things like “I say Merry Christmas, not Happy Holidays” and “If hearing Merry Christmas offends you then shove it” or something similar. Umm, just full of holiday cheer, aren’t we?? We try to teach our children acceptance and understanding, and then turn around and tell one another that if you say the wrong thing about the holidays, well you better watch out. And not ’cause Santa’s coming to town. Your neighbour just might hang you with your own “holiday” lights if you’re not careful about what you say.
I don’t like to get involved in other people’s business, or to tell others what to believe and how to live. To each his own. In this case though, I just simply don’t understand what all the fuss is about! Why do people feel the need to shove their opinions and beliefs about the holidays down one another’s throat? The way I take it is, no matter what holiday you celebrate, it is the holiday season. So saying “Happy Holidays” encompasses all the holidays and is basically a wish for them to be happy and pleasant. Which is what we’re trying to do anyway. People forget that others may not say “Happy Holidays” to offend you, but just the opposite. The cashier at the Dollar Store doesn’t know what holiday you celebrate, so saying “Happy Holidays” covers them all. Which is great! At least she’s in a good mood and not rolling her eyes when scanning the 30 packages of ornaments you bought. I would rather wish her “Happy Holidays” as well and be on my merry way instead of scowling and saying “Merry Christmas” or educating her about how to say it in Serbian. That would be unpleasant, unnecessary, and would simply take up too much of my time. ‘Cause I have things to do, you know. Like putting up more lights or making more cookies. Or eating said cookies.
My daughter’s school is having a “Holiday Concert” this year. They’re singing “Jingle Bells” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”. I think it will be adorable and there’s nothing offensive about it. The holiday concert includes everyone, whether they celebrate Christmas or not. Which is how I think it should be. I don’t recall anyone refusing to participate when in grade 3 we had an “Under the Sea Holiday Concert” and we were dressed up as fish and other sea life and sang”Jingle Bells”. The parents and teachers thought it was cute, they enjoyed the concert, and we went home for the winter break happy as clams.
This doesn’t just apply to holiday greetings, either. We have a family friend who signs all of our birthday cards with “Wishing you many happy returns of the day” instead of “Happy Birthday”. We don’t make a fuss, and don’t get upset. We accept the card (and her) the way they are. Plus, I think her saying is more creative than plain old “Happy Birthday”. It’s all about acceptance, see. Once you accept people the way they are, you can move on and spend your time on more productive things. Like baking.
So the next time someone says “Happy Holidays” don’t judge them. It doesn’t matter what you celebrate or don’t celebrate, there’s no need to be a negative Nancy and make someone feel bad for giving you a holiday greeting and wishing you well. At this time of year, there are so many people who are stressed and rushing around, and also many more who are struggling to make ends meet. Your holiday greeting might just make their day.
Sooo…..Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy New Year! Sretan Bozic! Hristos Se Rodi! Joyous Kwanzaa! Happy-whatever-you-choose-to-celebrate!
Have a sugarrific day!
M xoxo
SugarDino 