So I am beginning to wonder if my little Kitchenaid will hold out through 30 batches of icing. So far, I have made 13 batches. I did this in two parts. The first, I did 6 and then I did 7 two hours later. I wanted to give my Kitchenaid a break and let it cool down. I know it wasn't made for 8 hours nonstop of usage, but I wonder what it will take before it dies? Not that I want it to quit, then where would I be?
So tomorrow I am hoping to get a better count as to how many will be there on Thursday. I may have a few people cross their names off. But if they don't, I am beginning to wonder if 30 batches is enough. I just don't want to go home with much, if any, icing.
I am also a bit nervous that I don't have enough tips to go around. I already know that I will have to split the group up into sections and have one group work with one tip, while the other groups would work with the next type of tips, ect.
I am sure it will be fine. :-)
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Powdered Sugar!!
So I finished sifting 50-60 lbs of powdered sugar. I can't believe I actually finished. I went pretty fast, and it only took 4 hours to do. :-) As I sifted the Costco powdered sugar, there were small boulders of powdered sugar, and I was very much tempted to take one out and let it melt in my mouth, but I decided to be a good girl today.
I do have powdered sugar from one end of the kitchen to the other, and now I need to clean that up. I thought I would take a small break and sit down for now.
I have been trying to plan on when I would bake the couple of cakes I am taking in to show them how to decorate. I don't want to bake them during the day since it is hot enough here anyway. It only got to 100 today. Currently it is 98. I was thinking of staying up all night tonight to bake during the night, but perhaps not.
I plan on making two cakes for them next Thursday to show a couple of techniques. I have been thinking of what I want to do with one of them. I have decided that I would bake a chocolate cake. Yum. Then I would ice it with chocolate buttercream frosting. In the center, I would first ice it with the chocolate buttercream, then I would put some mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, perhaps some coconut, and then drizzle some caramel sauce on it. I would then put the second layer of the cake on and finish icing it in chocolate buttercream. Next, I would melt some darker chocolate buttercream frosting in the microwave and pour it on the cake so it would look like chocolate melted on top of it.
Doesn't that sound good???? I can almost taste it. I will have to take a picture and post that. Maybe even a picture of me enjoying it. :-0
I do have powdered sugar from one end of the kitchen to the other, and now I need to clean that up. I thought I would take a small break and sit down for now.
I have been trying to plan on when I would bake the couple of cakes I am taking in to show them how to decorate. I don't want to bake them during the day since it is hot enough here anyway. It only got to 100 today. Currently it is 98. I was thinking of staying up all night tonight to bake during the night, but perhaps not.
I plan on making two cakes for them next Thursday to show a couple of techniques. I have been thinking of what I want to do with one of them. I have decided that I would bake a chocolate cake. Yum. Then I would ice it with chocolate buttercream frosting. In the center, I would first ice it with the chocolate buttercream, then I would put some mini chocolate chips, chopped pecans, perhaps some coconut, and then drizzle some caramel sauce on it. I would then put the second layer of the cake on and finish icing it in chocolate buttercream. Next, I would melt some darker chocolate buttercream frosting in the microwave and pour it on the cake so it would look like chocolate melted on top of it.
Doesn't that sound good???? I can almost taste it. I will have to take a picture and post that. Maybe even a picture of me enjoying it. :-0
Crazy, Crazy Day
This month is a bit stressful so far. Work has been one thing after another, and I know it is only 11 days in. However, I am not sure how much more I can take before I need to take a mental health day.
I say that, but that will actually never happen.
On Wednesday, my alarm went off at 5:00 am like normal. I get up that early because I have high hopes of actually getting up and running. Most mornings, that doesn't happen, but I still have the alarm set so I will keep trying. Anyway, I had stayed up too late on Tuesday, so I decided to reset my alarm so I would wake up around 6:30. I should never do this when I am half asleep because I actually just changed the time on my clock, and didn't really change the alarm.
Around 7:30, I rolled over and thought that it was sure light outside for 6:30. So I looked at the clock and it said that it was 9:00. I bolted out of bed and the idea fleeted across my mind that I should just call in sick. I had been thinking of this since January, but I just can't seem to do it. I can pretty much only take Monday, Wednesday, or Friday off because of commitments on the other days. However, every time I thought I would take the day off, I would remember that I had something happening that day, or I was really swamped and I couldn't take off.
This Wednesday was a bit different. I didn't have anything that wouldn't wait one day to get done. When I realized it was only 7:30, and I could actually call in sick, I realized I had been fooling myself for months. I never would call in sick if I wasn't actually sick. So all of these months, I kept just telling myself I would, but I was too busy to call in sick. Truth is, I won't call in sick even when I am sick. I will go to work to get things done and taken care of, then leave early. When I say early, it is like an hour or so.
Thanks Mom and Dad for instilling such a good work ethic in me. I just don't want to stay home and wash walls when I could go to work. :-)
I say that, but that will actually never happen.
On Wednesday, my alarm went off at 5:00 am like normal. I get up that early because I have high hopes of actually getting up and running. Most mornings, that doesn't happen, but I still have the alarm set so I will keep trying. Anyway, I had stayed up too late on Tuesday, so I decided to reset my alarm so I would wake up around 6:30. I should never do this when I am half asleep because I actually just changed the time on my clock, and didn't really change the alarm.
Around 7:30, I rolled over and thought that it was sure light outside for 6:30. So I looked at the clock and it said that it was 9:00. I bolted out of bed and the idea fleeted across my mind that I should just call in sick. I had been thinking of this since January, but I just can't seem to do it. I can pretty much only take Monday, Wednesday, or Friday off because of commitments on the other days. However, every time I thought I would take the day off, I would remember that I had something happening that day, or I was really swamped and I couldn't take off.
This Wednesday was a bit different. I didn't have anything that wouldn't wait one day to get done. When I realized it was only 7:30, and I could actually call in sick, I realized I had been fooling myself for months. I never would call in sick if I wasn't actually sick. So all of these months, I kept just telling myself I would, but I was too busy to call in sick. Truth is, I won't call in sick even when I am sick. I will go to work to get things done and taken care of, then leave early. When I say early, it is like an hour or so.
Thanks Mom and Dad for instilling such a good work ethic in me. I just don't want to stay home and wash walls when I could go to work. :-)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
What was I thinking??
First, I just went into the bathroom and found Sam lying in the bathtub (empty of course) trying to stay cool. Poor cat.
Anyway, remember the wedding cake?? How could anyone forget, right? Anyway, when some of the ladies at church heard I was making a wedding cake, they mentioned they would love to learn how to do that, and that I should do an Enrichment night on cake decorating. I kind of didn't really want to. I had done a cake decorating Enrichment about a year or two ago, and really didn't want to teach another one. However, I got to thinking that I shouldn't hide my talents under a bushel, and that I don't use my talents, I may lose them, and I should be using my talents to help the people.
So, I talked to my friend who is the Enrichment counselor and told her that is she wanted, I would teach a class. I talked to her last month before we had Enrichment in June. She called me back and told me that she didn't think that we could do it in June. I let her know that I wasn't thinking June, but I just wanted to throw the idea out and we could do it later in the future. So we decided July.
I told her that I would make the icing for everyone so that they would have the right consistency, but they would need to bring their own cake. I did have a few instructions for them for their cakes they were to bring, and wanted to announce them.
The sign up went around two weeks ago when we had a combined meeting, but I didn't think much of it. The turn out for the regular Enrichment is about 4-7, and a good turn out is 10-12. So this Sunday I got up in RS and told them the details about what they needed to bring for their cake and some tips for it. One lady raised her hand and asked, "So, we need to bring a cake to Enrichment to decorate?" I wasn't going to make cakes for everyone. I had learned my lesson with the gingerbread houses...or so I thought.
When the sign up came around to me, I about fell off my chair. I couldn't believe it. There were 25 people signed up. TWENTY-FIVE. This means that I will need about 30 batches of buttercream icing. Let's break this down a bit.
30 batches of frosting =
60 lbs of powdered sugar-30 2 lb regular sized bags, or one 50 lb Costco bag, and 5 regular
45 cups of Crisco, which I think will be 7.5 of the regular sized cans
4 cups of Karo Syrup
30 teaspoons of vanilla
30 teaspoons of almond extract
15 teaspoons of butter extract
Since I will be purchasing the powered sugar at Costco because a 50 lb bag is only $19.99 (2 lb bags about $1.80) I will have to sift the sugar. I have roughly estimated that it will take me 6-8 hours to sift 50 pounds of powered sugar. It took me 2.5 hours to sift enough sugar for 8 batches last month, and I figure I will just have to go faster this time around.
Then once the sugar is sifted, my little Kitchenaid will run for 7.5 hours nonstop. Each batch of frosting takes 10-15 minutes to beat to the right consistency.
With that said, I should stop typing and start sifting. I may get done in time for Enrichment next Thursday night. :-)
Enough griping, I know it will be fun, I just wasn't prepared for that many batches of frosting.
Anyway, remember the wedding cake?? How could anyone forget, right? Anyway, when some of the ladies at church heard I was making a wedding cake, they mentioned they would love to learn how to do that, and that I should do an Enrichment night on cake decorating. I kind of didn't really want to. I had done a cake decorating Enrichment about a year or two ago, and really didn't want to teach another one. However, I got to thinking that I shouldn't hide my talents under a bushel, and that I don't use my talents, I may lose them, and I should be using my talents to help the people.
So, I talked to my friend who is the Enrichment counselor and told her that is she wanted, I would teach a class. I talked to her last month before we had Enrichment in June. She called me back and told me that she didn't think that we could do it in June. I let her know that I wasn't thinking June, but I just wanted to throw the idea out and we could do it later in the future. So we decided July.
I told her that I would make the icing for everyone so that they would have the right consistency, but they would need to bring their own cake. I did have a few instructions for them for their cakes they were to bring, and wanted to announce them.
The sign up went around two weeks ago when we had a combined meeting, but I didn't think much of it. The turn out for the regular Enrichment is about 4-7, and a good turn out is 10-12. So this Sunday I got up in RS and told them the details about what they needed to bring for their cake and some tips for it. One lady raised her hand and asked, "So, we need to bring a cake to Enrichment to decorate?" I wasn't going to make cakes for everyone. I had learned my lesson with the gingerbread houses...or so I thought.
When the sign up came around to me, I about fell off my chair. I couldn't believe it. There were 25 people signed up. TWENTY-FIVE. This means that I will need about 30 batches of buttercream icing. Let's break this down a bit.
30 batches of frosting =
60 lbs of powdered sugar-30 2 lb regular sized bags, or one 50 lb Costco bag, and 5 regular
45 cups of Crisco, which I think will be 7.5 of the regular sized cans
4 cups of Karo Syrup
30 teaspoons of vanilla
30 teaspoons of almond extract
15 teaspoons of butter extract
Since I will be purchasing the powered sugar at Costco because a 50 lb bag is only $19.99 (2 lb bags about $1.80) I will have to sift the sugar. I have roughly estimated that it will take me 6-8 hours to sift 50 pounds of powered sugar. It took me 2.5 hours to sift enough sugar for 8 batches last month, and I figure I will just have to go faster this time around.
Then once the sugar is sifted, my little Kitchenaid will run for 7.5 hours nonstop. Each batch of frosting takes 10-15 minutes to beat to the right consistency.
With that said, I should stop typing and start sifting. I may get done in time for Enrichment next Thursday night. :-)
Enough griping, I know it will be fun, I just wasn't prepared for that many batches of frosting.
Sunday School
So I was able to teach Sunday School this past Sunday. I also get to teach it next week. The regular teacher was going to be out of town the next couple of weeks. Thank goodness there are actually two Sunday School teachers, and then I am the substitute. I have come to realize that I am a good story teller, but not much of a scriptorium. I can keep the attention of the class when I am telling the scripture stories, but when I try to teach chapters that don't really have stories in them, I have a hard time, and I swear I hear crickets chirping when I ask questions.
I was happy that I got to tell the story about Ammon tending King Lamoni's sheep and having to defend them. As well as converting King Lamoni, his family, and people. It was a good Sunday.
I didn't want anyone to say that I wasn't prepared enough for the lesson, and I think I did okay. :-)
I was happy that I got to tell the story about Ammon tending King Lamoni's sheep and having to defend them. As well as converting King Lamoni, his family, and people. It was a good Sunday.
I didn't want anyone to say that I wasn't prepared enough for the lesson, and I think I did okay. :-)
Got Air Conditioning?
So, I woke up about an hour ago. I had a small nightmare. No big deal, but then after about an hour I decided to haul myself out of bed and do something productive.
It is sooooooooo hot here. I know, I know, I could move somewhere where it wouldn't be this hot, but then I would have to deal with below freezing temps in the winter. :-)
Yesterday was 107. It was to get to 111 so 107 was great. However, after 105, it all feels the same. Today it is to be 108-111 (depending on the weather station). This trend is supposed to last through the weekend. So it is HOT....that really isn't the worst part. It is currently monsoon season. Which actually has started a month early. We don't actually have the monsoon season, but Phoenix does. Phoenix starts to get unpredictable rainstorms in August, which is attributed to monsoon season. This is where the air is coming up from the Pacific Ocean, then circling over Mexico, then to Phoenix, then to Southern CA. This brings in the humidity.
When it is over 100, it isn't too bad when the humidity is 10-15%. However, currently it is 86 degrees with 37% humidity. I know that it will get one to degrees cooler this morning before the sun comes up, but I can't really say that 86 should be the "low" for the day.
When I got to work yesterday morning, it was 40% humidity and 87 degrees!!
You know it is bad when you go outside and your glasses fog up from the heat/humidity.
So we started getting notices that CA is on a Flex-Alert. This is where we know that there will be a major draw on energy and we are called to conserve power. I had to laugh at the commercial because it stated that we were on a flex-alert. We should put off using electricity until 7. This means that if you need to run the dishwasher or other non-essential things that we should wait until after 7 to do so. Then it went on to state that "If you must use your air conditioner, please turn it to at least 78 degrees, or wait until after 7 to turn it on." Are you kidding? At 107, who wouldn't need to use their air conditioner????
Stay cool!!
It is sooooooooo hot here. I know, I know, I could move somewhere where it wouldn't be this hot, but then I would have to deal with below freezing temps in the winter. :-)
Yesterday was 107. It was to get to 111 so 107 was great. However, after 105, it all feels the same. Today it is to be 108-111 (depending on the weather station). This trend is supposed to last through the weekend. So it is HOT....that really isn't the worst part. It is currently monsoon season. Which actually has started a month early. We don't actually have the monsoon season, but Phoenix does. Phoenix starts to get unpredictable rainstorms in August, which is attributed to monsoon season. This is where the air is coming up from the Pacific Ocean, then circling over Mexico, then to Phoenix, then to Southern CA. This brings in the humidity.
When it is over 100, it isn't too bad when the humidity is 10-15%. However, currently it is 86 degrees with 37% humidity. I know that it will get one to degrees cooler this morning before the sun comes up, but I can't really say that 86 should be the "low" for the day.
When I got to work yesterday morning, it was 40% humidity and 87 degrees!!
You know it is bad when you go outside and your glasses fog up from the heat/humidity.
So we started getting notices that CA is on a Flex-Alert. This is where we know that there will be a major draw on energy and we are called to conserve power. I had to laugh at the commercial because it stated that we were on a flex-alert. We should put off using electricity until 7. This means that if you need to run the dishwasher or other non-essential things that we should wait until after 7 to do so. Then it went on to state that "If you must use your air conditioner, please turn it to at least 78 degrees, or wait until after 7 to turn it on." Are you kidding? At 107, who wouldn't need to use their air conditioner????
Stay cool!!
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