Dave + Patti Cake

The other day we were talking about who needs to do what for that weekend. I had volunteered to do the cupcakes for Ben's class - 30 cupcakes........then a friend asked me to do cupcakes for her class - 30 more cupcakes........then we found out a class didn't have any parent help so I offered to do cupcakes for that class - 20 more cupcakes....then someone called last minute and asked to place an order for their sweetie - I like her she is really nice so I said yes - 18 more cupcakes......then Andersen asked her teacher how many kids in class because she was making gum valentines for everyone - he thought she was volunteering to bring in cupcakes......ah how do you say no? He seemed so excited and knew I was friends with all the allergy kids moms (which makes me safe because they don't mind me baking for their kids I guess)........so 30 more cupcakes. How many did that total?

Well whatever it totalled it made for a VERY BUSY Sunday because each one needed to be cute on top.

Back to Dave and I talking. So I have all these millions of cupcakes to do (and honestly I was happy to do them all) and we have been married for 14 years...15? No pretty sure it is 14 - 13? Anyway I can figure that out later. So needless to say - many years of marriage and 3 kids ='s not much on Valentines Day done as a romantic gesture. Andersen was headed to the college campus for a GS event - Dave offered to run to the store to get the 1 item I needed - plus I wanted some boxes from Michales for a teachers gift and to drop Andersen off. I told him he didn't have to and then he said, "No I want to do it. Besides I have some errands to run too." He WANTS to go to the grocery store and Michael's?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......this can only mean 1 thing - crap - he is getting me a Valentines Gift. I had NOTHING planned - because we don't do anything - well we do - we snuggle and hang out and say nice things to each other - just like most days. We love each other why do we have to buy gifts to prove it (yikes I sound like a guy don't I?).

So I put my thinking cap on.........no time.......what do I have? Cake batter. So I did what I could -


I baked a cake. Then I looked at it - boring cake ........ carve it........ice it.........cover it with fondant........


See where I am going with this? A little grass on the bottom.....a Heart carved out....


Some flowers thrown in and then a carving of initials. SWEET right?

I knew the kids would like it and I thought about how I could include them.......so D+P=ABD


The kids knew what I was doing.......


but they didn't know they were being included.......until they found it hidden in the China cabinet.


They were pretty excited to see their initials carved in too. Dave has yet to see it - wonder what he will think? Oh and since I had a little time I decided to grab a gift card to a sandwich shop and a gift card to a book store......It is a Date Night Kit. Cute right? Any babysitters out there?

Happy Valentines Day!!

This cake is Chocolate (because that is what my sweetie likes) - covered in Vanilla Buttercream (because that is what my sweetie likes) - covered in Vanilla Fondant.

Sweet Hearts

Of course today is Valentine's Day!! And goodness knows that this past weekend I have been doing TONS of Valentine Cupcakes for school parties. This particular cupcake order went out to one of Dave's co-workers. And this was a bit of a lesson in being nice and helpful.

So she ordered 18 cupcakes for a certain date. Wanted a large Red Heart on each one. The date for the order was a Friday and Dave was going to deliver to her at his work. That morning I got up super upder duper early to make sure I could bake the cupcakes - cool them - and frost them (the hears were already made) before he left at 7:30am. That done I sent the orderer an email saying everything was Great and He would be bringing them in.

She was at work super upder duper early and sent one back saying, "Errr....ahhhh....well I must have given you the wrong date". She had - she mixed her parties up - lucky her to have so many parties to attend that don't include elementary school kids. Lucky her.

So what to do?? She was very sweet and said "no worries - just send them and I will freeze them." Yeah, that is one way - but what would the fondant hearts look like - and what would they taste like? So instead I said, "No these can be fun cupcakes for Dave to take to work" - which he was totally willing to do, but he said there was no way he was offering a heart shaped cupcake to one of the men or woman he worked with (fear that they would think he was crushing on them? hmmmm....ego there) - instead he would leave them out and peeps could take them through the day.

The next week I got up again....super upder duber early and made 18 cupcakes with big read hearts on them. And everyone was happy!! Another bright side - I got to tweak my red velvet cake recipe. Thought it might be yummier with a bit more cocoa in it. Red Velvet is apparently the cupcake for Valentines day I am seeing......so might as well make it fabulous.

This cupcake was Red Velvet (obviously)...Cream cheese icing and a Vanilla fondant shaped to look like big red hearts. SWEET!!