Bean there, done that

I know. If you see just ONE more cupcake with jelly beans on it. Can't help myself. But I'll wait to post the other entries for a little while longer just to give you a rest. Oh yeah. There's more. Lots more. Meanwhile, here are some fun bubblegum accessories for the little ones in your life.

I took this photo before I gave the necklace

to my baking friend Jessica for her daughter.

And this one before I gave her these Shish-Ka-Bubs for her son.

After all, boys like gum too. And swords.

Had to think of a way to include them in the fun.

Very BRIGHT pink background wouldn't you say? Sorry.

Then she took this one when she got home, just in case

I hadn't snapped (a photo or mentally? hmmm . . .)

and this one before she turned them over to her kidlets.

She is so smart! I love that she took one out to show you.

And she used a background color that won't burn your retinas.

My very smart and creative friend does FABULOUS work with

cakes and takes some amazing photos as well. Thank you Jessica!

I always use a hand drill to make the holes.

Mine is sort of like this one.

Be sure not to press too hard or your gum ball will crack. Gentle drilling from each side makes for very clean holes. And wearing cotton gloves will ensure that they won't loose their lovely shine. My drill bit is dedicated to gum use only & I wash & dry it thoroughly before tucking it away for the next round.

You may be tempted to go electric. I've tried that. Worked okay for about 3 gum balls but I  still had to make a pilot hole so the bit could grab the surface. So there wasn't much time difference between manual and electric. Have you ever been smacked by a flying gum ball propelled by about a million rpms? Still have the bruise. Kind of like being hit by a baseball at full throttle. Until I figure out a safe way to hold them down, I'm sticking to the safer method. My windows are breathing a sigh of relief.

Have fun with your gum!

Jelly Bean Mania

The saga continues. Beans have overrun the kitchen and my brain. 
Here are the latest entries:

Hedgehog

Bacon, Eggs, Hashbrowns, French Toast (with syrup & butter! ) plus some healthy jelly bean orange wedges.

Should've submitted the photo with a view of the top.

Like this one. Live and learn!

The french toast is made from Kraft Stackmallows. Bacon & butter are Tootsie Roll Fruit and the hashbrowns are coconut. Eggs are jelly beans (how did you know?) and mini marshmallows. Syrup is from piping gel with a smidge of brown food paste.

Green Eggs & Ham with an edible wafer paper/gelatin sheet fork.

This one may get tossed for copyright issues but it was fun while it lasted! The first version had black lines on the plate but my drawing skills could use lots of practice.

Hence, I opted for the neater looking model.

Did I mention that it's the only neat thing in my house about now?

Xylophone!

Had to use the old lady specs to place the tiny dragees in a somewhat orderly fashion. I always loved this toy.

Probably the bright colors. They get me every time.

Spaghetti, pretzel sticks, on an all edible cupcake.

Christmas lights.

The tiny plug was inspired by a tiny oven from a dear friend. (Thanks Joanie!) Plug prongs are linguine.

Bulb sockets are green Twizzlers, the cord is licorice shoestring. And again with those bright colors. They just scream happy to me.

That's all for this past week. Who knows what next week will bring!

Challenged!

In case you haven't heard, Jelly Belly is having a cupcake contest. And being just a LITTLE competitive, I had to give it a try. Most of you may have waltzed right by the display in your local Safeway but it may as well have had neon lights and horns when I saw it touting a lovely prize for a jelly bean themed cupcake. This is my first entry but I hope to have many more. It is one of the few contests that allows multiple entries. Hooray! So much for visions of sugar plums. They've all been replaced by dreams of beautiful, colorful, shiny jelly beans. And a $10K check. Like the big checks on Food Network's challenges. Go ahead. Submit your entry here. Good luck! Hope you don't pre-spend all of the prize money on jelly beans!

And here's my entry into Seattle Times Newspaper's Peeps Contest. I've got the bug! Only one entry allowed in this one so this is it. Grand prize is a $500 gift certificate to a local drug store. How much hair color would that buy . . . ? There are lots of creative PEEPle out there so this doesn't stand a chance but it was fun playing along. Take a look if you'd like. Go to Seattle Times Peep's Contest and select "view entries." Anyone want a tub of somewhat fresh Peeps?

Pi Day

I ran away to see my friend last week and played some serious Barbies. Two cakes. And we got to play with a real fondant sheeter (sigh . . .) in an actual bakery. Our friends at The Cake Mamas in Glendora, California conspired with me to surprise our unsuspecting victim, my dear friend Joan, with a birthday cake. She was told that it was for the ex-mayor and that we had complete freedom in the design. Little did she know that she was decorating her own birthday cake! I almost had to give away the surprise the night before since she was so worried that it be something fabulous and over the top. It's 10:30 pm and she's coloring in sketches of the design. Hadn't thought about the potential stress on her but it was hard not to giggle when she kept telling me asking me why I wasn't showing any concern along with her. Sorry for the potential heart attack friend. Hope you have a very Happy Birthday! The ex-mayor actually stopped in for an order after we'd unveiled the surprise by writing her name on the cake. An added bonus. Thanks Janelle & Fabiola and crew for your extreme generosity and patience! And for all of the wonderful cupcakes. The Green Eggs and Ham was my favorite. Yum!

It was so lovely to get away and catch up. Beautiful sunshine, flowers, and friends. What more could one ask for? Well, actually, now we'd both like a sheeter. Thank you very much. Didn't even know what we were missing.

March 14th was Pi Day and to celebrate, my son asked if I'd make some mini pies for his math class and their finals. Unable to leave well enough alone, I also made some square cupcakes in protest. What event isn't protested these days? Thirty tiny pies: blackberry, caramel apple, cherry (and mixed berry which failed to make the photo shoot) plus 40 chocolate cupcakes filled with Swiss Meringue Buttercream and topped with red Sixlets for cherries and fondant for pie crust. Had to laugh when I passed some real protesters (teachers) on the corner turning into the campus! The instructor told the class they could eat while taking the exam. Hope that she'll error in favor of Pi for any smudges over illegible answers!!!

 

Have a great week!

The Beginning

Once upon a pedestal, in a kingdom far, far from spotless, there lived a Fairly Odd Mother. Her children had long since left the shoe and the old woman now was left with so many cupcake wrappers and baking implements that she didn’t know what to do. Temporarily.

Many, many, many years earlier, she lived with six wicked (not really wicked, just feisty) brothers and an all-grown-up sister who was too busy to come to her rescue. Not a pettiskirt to be found in the land. (Gasp!) She longed to play make believe and Barbies and mud pies drive-in but she spent most of her youth being tormented by and tormenting her brothers in return.

One day, her kind step mother who worked at a bakery all day making bread came home and asked if she would like to ride the bakery float in a REAL kid sized bakery costume! To which she replied, "Of course!" And so she rode in the parade with her hiney on the crepe paper and her heart in the clouds. This was perhaps the first incident leading up to this blog. And many potential therapy sessions for her grown children and patient husband.



 

She grew up (well, maybe - okay, sort of) to love all things tiny as well as tea cups, cupcakes, chocolate, ice cream, bubble gum, paper dolls, dress up, make believe, fairies, the magic twinkle of lightning bugs, setting a fancy table and planning or throwing a themed event. In no particular order. And not all inclusive. All of which leads to the temporary insanity you are about to witness within. Hope you'll enjoy the diversion!