CFAM [Heart]s You!

I remember the times as a kid when I'd to give out Valentine's Day cards to my friends at school.  Those early years were fun.  It was the only time of the year where you were "authorized" to pass notes in class.  And not only could you pass notes without being disciplined for it, you were also encouraged to include sweets.  Oh man, what fun that tradition was.

But then, as the years passed, they became awkward as kids formed crushes for each other (or lack thereof) and annoying.  As a boy in my early teens, I only wished they weren't reading into my message too much.  Be Mine?  Really?!

Ahh, the joy of growing up.  But, as I got older and matured, Valentine's Day has seemed rather silly.  Why am I being forced to show someone that I love or care for them?  Shouldn't I do that around the year?  Well, of course you should.  For me, it reminds me that I should love someone even if I don't like them right then.  I once believed love was a reaction; however, real love is truly a choice, given when you don't feel like giving it.  It is an action.  It reminds me to act and show someone that despite my feeling at the time, I should love.  But, that's just me.

How do you celebrate Valentine's Day?  Ooh, ooh!  I have an idea!  A succulent red velvet cake delicately wrapped with sweet cream cheese frosting is surely a great way to enjoy the evening.  This homemade goodness will certainly make it sweeter.

6" two-tier red velvet with cream cheese frosting

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Two Are Better Than One

We just received news yesterday that my wife's sister and her husband, already parents to two great kids (twins), are now expecting, oh yes, another set of twins this year.  We are so excited for them!

Last night, with a few orders coming due soon and my wife knowing that I have a few cakes already baked and not yet frosted, she suggests we just drive up to their home and surprise them with a cake.  "Really? Now?"  She's very good at surprises, especially surprising me too, but I'm glad for that drive in her.  She definitely knows how to recognize others and make them feel special.  So, in the midst of the excitement and the little time I had, I gave the effort she wanted in surprising them.  I especially knew this had to be done quickly since not only my girls and their kids were nearing the "outer rim" of their day (yes, on a school night of course), my brother-in-law also covets his sleep.  He makes the birds feel lazy by how early he gets up for work.

So, this is the cake that came together with what resources I had on hand already.  Three-layers of chocolate with cream-cheese frosting (as always, all homemade), the flavors are simple, distinct, and very good.  Since we don't know what they're having just yet, pink and blue find their way into every bit of the cake; the frosted layers are even separated in pink and blue.  If you think the decorating took more time than its construction, you'd be right.  The script "Two Are Better Than 1" comes out of Ecclesiastes 4:9 and is completely out-of-context.  Using a little freedom - I'm confident God will forgive me - it made for a good laugh.

Three-tier chocolate with cream cheese frosting.

Congratulations, Jeff and Amy!  We are so happy for you.

~Luke

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What's your Tradition?

Most of you probably already know this - that is assuming you've ever met me - that I cannot keep up with sports talk.  Oh, I understand most of the mechanics, rules, and strategies of nearly any American sport.  I just don't keep up with the current teams, players, who's great, who's not, and all the other topics in between.  But, what I do like doing, regardless of the occasion, is hanging out with friends, making new ones, and creating moments where we all can have a good laugh.  Even if some of it is at my expense, I still love it.

The Super Bowl is just another one of those great times to get together for me and not because of who's playing and how great one team is over the other, although I love a true underdog story; I just love the crowd.  My favorite memory of Super Bowl was back in high school and being invited to a party at the local Nazarene church in north Spokane (Washington).  Did you know that's where I grew up?  Anyway, this was back in the day where we didn't have High-Def LED, Plasma, LCD, or even big screen televisions in general - at least I hadn't really ever seen a big TV before.  But this church had a projector and boy did I marvel at the thought of a 30' image projected on a wall.  Add food and friends and there's no way you could keep me from that.  We slammed down pizza, Doritos, soda-pop, and other typical Super Bowl junkfood.  However, it was the cheering with my friends at great plays, laughing with them at the funny commercials, and making memories that made this day oh so grand.

Since then, I haven't really watched much of the games.  My wife and two little girls keep me busy in a great way and in whatever their lives want from me.  I'm not ashamed to say I cherish them more than a good game of football.  Today, though, we have the opportunity to make new memories.  New friends from church have invited us over to their house to watch the game.  "What would you like us to bring," I asked the wife.  "Oh, anything snacky,"  She replied.  "Would you like me to bring a cake?"  "Could you?!"  Well, it just wouldn't be proper to invite a baker and expect him to bring a bag of oily chips, although a good bag of Cheddar & Sour Cream Lays...never mind.

Football and Turf cake

Today, we're celebrating with a football and some turf [cake].  When I told my girls I was making a cake with a football on grass, the youngest was shocked.  "You mean....real...grass?"  Like I always do, I played along with it.  "Sure.  You're going to go outside and pick clumps of grass and then we'll layer it on the cake."  The oldest knew I was kidding and even the youngest could sense a joke in it somewhere, but she was still on the fence.  Like many of the cakes I've made, designed mostly out of inspiration, this is what resulted:  Sod is made of chocolate cake with a chocolate butter-cream frosting and green-colored butter-cream for the grass - yes, this isn't real grass just in case you're on the fence too.  Chocolate-coated candy rocks line the bottom.  On top, the football is a hand-carved four-layer marble with chocolate frosting and dark brown fondant.  I think my girls are more excited to show off my cake than I am...and I'm looking forward to it as well.

So before you leave, I have to ask:  How do you celebrate the Super Bowl?  What memories or traditions get you excited for the big game?

Thanks for following and supporting Cakes for a Mustang!

~Luke

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