new cake challanges

so I am really enjoying the challange of an interesting topic or creature to make into a cake! Nolan's favorite animal is a hippo so his mom requested a hippo cake. This is what I came up with and I thought it looked pretty darn cute! Now his big sister is next and she loves squirrels! That may be a little trickier, believe it or not! I am thinking along the lines of giant acorn, tiny squirrel...we will have to see! I'm trying out some new cake flavors, too. So far, though, my lemon layer cake is everyone's favorite. My girls are really getting into cake design and a couple of Sundays ago we all sat around and colored pictures of cakes...the ones they want for their birthdays, obviously being a priority! I have one wild animal cake, for Ben, then Meredith's is next and she wants a Pocohantas cake...at least she did until this morning when she saw the hippo cake! Then Grace's towering creation is a huge princess/castle/village/dragon thing--truly a challange! Can't wait, though. I've been checking out some of the local competition and boy is there some! Lincoln has some spectacular cake designers....if this is what I want to be when I grow up, I've got my work cut out for me!

tiered cakes

so, I had an order for a sheet cake with a wizard of oz theme, but when I started planning and sketching and deciding what to design--I felt it needed tiers! I had so much fun doing this cake. I need to keep at it and practice, practice, practice! It is, afterall, what makes perfect! I now face a sink full of dirty dishes and I hear hungry kids in the background...aaahhh for a nanny, a housekeeper and a bakery staff! Dream On! Suzy's Sweets is growing by leaps and bounds but not really hauling in that kind of cash! ha! Strawberry cream bread pudding is next on the agenda--doesn't that sound just heavenly?

long time no type!

well, the good news is I've been too darn busy to blog! I'm still too busy but I'm trying to catch everything up anyway. Lots of lovely cake orders...in fact, a Wizard of Oz themed cake coming up next weekend and I cannot wait! I want to start now, and in fact, I might start working on some gum paste figures this afternoon if I can get some time wedged in...I'll make sure and take lots of pictures, 'cuz I have some great ideas in my head--I just need to get them onto the cake, right?! The Bistro has been doing great...Cathy is a fabulous marketer and so creative. She has lots of ideas cooked up...its energizing just being around her...keeps me motivated for sure!

The only other thing coming up of note is a big bridal show in Lincoln July 20. I want to go, probably take the girls because they enjoy stuff like that...its at the Cornhusker so will hopefully be alittle better than the one we went to at the Expo Center. I've been to the winter show at the Cornhusker before and it is an excellent show. I'm looking forward to seeing what's being offered. See where I can fit in! Suzy's Sweets, llc is getting bigger and better...I really need to seriously think about new digs. I've got to get walk-ins and bigger ovens AND SOON! Hooray!

suzy's sweets at corvette show!

Howdy! Well, the big weather missed us last night, but devastated some towns south and especially east of us...I do not like tornado season, that is for sure. Big doin's around here-Ashland is hosting a local corvette show and SC's Bistro is doing concessions so I will get to supply rolls and cookies and brownies! Hurray! I've got to see if I can make a "car" cookie...too cute, really. Tried yet another version of sweet roll this morning...apple walnut with a cinnamon struesel topping. They look fantastic! I'll have to break one open here in a few minutes and see if they taste as good as they look. I also attempted my version of the Cherry Bounce coffee cake that Grandpa used to buy in Chicago. Complete failure--well, not complete, the cake TASTES good--but that is all! It looks terrible and doesn't taste anything like what I remembered. But now I already thinking of a different way to prepare it...and now that I think about it, I think it was a yeast dough for the "cake" part. I'll email Dad and Jennifer to see if they remember. It has been a nice week of baked good sales, that's for sure. Oh, and I have a new scone idea to try to...cherry pecan. Sounded good! I toasted my pecans, now I just have to whip up my scones and see what people think. And start prepping stuff for this car show--expecting a couple of hundred people, apparently! hurray!

two new items

so, silly me, forgot to take a picture of the cake, but I'll try and get to that next time. So, totally inspired by all the beautiful and delicious food in Chicago I came home ready to bake! Tried out a new style breakfast roll....my regular dough, but instead of a cinnamon sugar filling, cream cheese and strawberry preserves--then rolled up, baked and topped with cream cheese frosting--wow! Smell fabulous, taste great, too...and then vanilla cake, layered with a pineapple, spiced rum, brown sugar compote, buttercream, toasted coconut and macadami nuts. It looks great and is so yummy! I am very, very happy with the way both items turned out. Let's just see how they actually sell. Well, the rolls sold, I've got more started this morning...I just took the cake over yesterday. I had a customer requesting the mini-cherry pies which I took over yesterday a.m. and I found out why...his daughter bought one for his wife's birthday and HE ate it--and loved it--so has been trying to get another one to replace the one he gobbled down! too funny...also went to Omaha Bakery Supply yesterday. Met with Nancy and she was a fantastic hostess--gave me a great tour, we talked for about an hour, I think. They have some great looking equipment--cannot wait to get back there and get some. And next week I am definitely shopping there for some shortening, flavors, etc. What a great find! And they are not too far away, either. In this day of soaring gas prices, that is a bonus to be sure. I want to get to Whole Foods, but that's 50 miles for stuff I do not really NEED, just want, and people I would like to visit, obviously. Miss them! Okay, time to get some cookies into the oven. It's going to be a great day!

well, the national restaurant association show was fabulous. always nice to be back in the big city--I love Chicago anyway, and having an entire McCormick Place full of foodies was just the icing on the cake! Very inspiring, to say the least. I even had a chance to visit a local family owned bakery and get an idea or two there. In fact, I came up with a new roll recipe last night due to all my creative stimulation over the weekend. I made a strawberry cream cheese roll that turned out quite fabulous, if I do say so myself! Always nice when a vision comes to life as well as you planned it, eh?! Another busy week, and this time the big weekend cake order is for my very own soon to be 6-year old! She wants a ginormous cupcake ONTOP of a cake--what?! Greedy girl! But I say what the heck, we will go for it! I said, that will be kind of hard and she said "I will help you, MOmmy!" Cannot ask for more than that, can you? Brilliant! I'll try and remember to take a picture of that one...if it can happen.

lovely week

what a lovely busy week I have going right now! My folks visited over the weekend and we had a great time--always nice to have people around who appreciate my cooking. The case has been selling well--sure wish I had more time for new recipes. I have lots of lovely special orders, especially for cakes this week--plus shipped a couple of items today as well, Hooray! Now I've got to figure out how to get far enough ahead that the Bistro doesn't run into trouble while I'm in Chicago. Baby crying, gotta runnnnnnnnn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11