Swapping Canvas for Fondant

It is all coming together. I am seeing an open door now. Don't know what I am talking about? Well, earlier this month I was wondering where do I fit in the whole scheme of things? Am I using my true God given talents? Dong!! I think I have found it...my little space some where...

On Friday/Saturday I baked a cake and decorated it in the shape of a Coach handbag for a friend's birthday party. I made so many mistakes, but I learned so much! However, while I was applying or painting the colors on the lipstick which I made from fondant (see photograph) a happy feeling came over me. It has been years since I have felt this way.

I remember feeling like this when I was a pre-teen (11-13 years old)...I was painting and was just lost in what I was doing. At that time of my life I was the young Leonardo Di Vince. Anything I saw, I painted. My dad gave me twelve different size canvas, oil paint and very good sable brushes for my birthday. I always had an artist sketch pad, so I was drawing and painting...I loved it as well as trying new recipes (those I could afford) in my mom's kitchen. So while I was painting the details on the lipstick, it was like a dong in my head and heart that this is what I love to do.

Think about this, because I have been and it seems very crazy plus I have asked myself this question: "Is it too late for a forty-something-year-old like myself to start a business of cake decorating?" Looking back at how I started in business of baking cookies, it was cakes I first started baking to sell but not cookies. Maybe this is a sign (smile).

My conclusion is, "with God all things are possible" and I want to see Him do the impossible with me.

Walk good - Jeanette (This is the final photograph of handbag)

Sharing The Gift

Sharing The Gift

Another summer adventure with my nephew Michael. Soon I'll be able to write a book if he continues.

A few weeks ago Dominic, Michael, Katherine, my nephews and niece, came with their auntie Carolyn and uncle Garry for a little bar-B-Que and a quick dip in the pool at my condo. Even though it stormed, they managed to enjoy a dip in the pool and played with their WII game they had brought to fill in "blank" time. I played a little WII too, got knocked out in boxing match by Dominic - he's a young man so I had to let him save face by allowing him to win. The games were exciting and everyone was having fun, however, I constantly heard the children telling Michael to stop messing around. You see, Michael tends to be a little talkative (Katherine will tell you smart ways to keep him quiet) and learns much of what he knows by wanting to "touch" things. In order to give the other children a break, I took Michael into my "Auntie Jeannie's Time-out room"...Yeh! The other room.

When I took him in my work-room, he got a little nervous because I believe he thought "he was in real trouble". We had a little chat as to why I brought him in the room and as I figured he was bracing for "it". Much to his surprise, I picked up some cake decorating books I had and started to show him pictures of beautifully decorated cakes. He was in awe! Suddenly Mikey said,

"Auntie Jeannie, I want to decorate a cake like this!"

He was pointing to a cake in a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine. I smiled and responded by letting him know: "Mikey, lets start with decorating cookies first." He agreed but still wanted to decorate cakes he was looking at from the magazines; Colette Peters books; and the American Cake Decorating magazines. I showed him a few dummy cakes I had, the piping bags and tips, and my personal sketch book of cakes designs I was working on. He was elated and that was when he share with me a great idea of how to share.

Over the summer at camp Michael said he saw a boy who was only 13 years old and he knew how to decorate cakes. He said the boy had the "putty thing" (I believe was fondant), which he used to cover the cakes and make beautiful things. For a moment I thought he was pulling my legs, but I was sure this 9 year old did not know that much about decorating cakes to come up with this story. I asked him how this boy knew how to do the things he was telling me about? Mikey said,

"The boy's mother taught him...she pass it down to him."

Wow! I though. Am I prepared to hear what he will say next? Nope! Sure enough he asked me, "So auntie Jeannie will you pass this down to me just like what that boy's mom did?" Then he explained to me more what "passing down means" because it seems like I did not understand. You see I was blank in my face because I could not believe he was asking that of me...to share the gift, my God-given-gift.

So walk good and I soon come again...Jeannie (otherwise, see you later).

Martha, Martha, Mary & Me

I know we are in Fall, but I just have the need to get organize. Have you ever felt like you are always falling behind in the pac? Or just can't seems to get your ideas out there? If you are knodding your head, I am doing that too. I feel like I never really got any one thing done.

What are you dreams and longings? Are you fullfilled in your career? As a wife? A mother? A memeber of the "human race" (I must give you a... well I believe it was a joke about the human race thing later)? I will be honest with you, right now I am not felling all daisy about where I am right now in my life. I just don't believe I am fullfilling my God-given call! I am this big-a-round (see photo), but on the inside I'm exploding and busting with dreams! Daily I'm asking the Lord: what am I to do Lord?!?

I admire Martha Stewart in the way she took the time spent in the "big house" and used it to create (my words) the New Martha Stewart! It's fantastic how hard times actually makes sweet rewards. Martha Stewart reminds me of another Martha I know, she loved to serve and spent alot of time in the kitchen (Luke 10: 40-42). I would love to be like Martha and Martha (have a clean house and good food to eat). The scripture says in verse 42 that Mary, Martha's sister, choosed the "good part" which is where I really want to be.

"Lord, am I there yet? Am I choosing the good part?"

Walk good - Jeanette

I Want My Own TV Show

We are living in the days of reality TV and it's not surprising that even our much younger generation (like my niece and nephew) are just as fascinated with the "real" in reality for us to ignore them. I say this because I am reminded of a fun time I had this summer with my nephew and niece, Michael and Katherine doing a "Kid's Food TV Special".

My nephew, Michael has shown a keen interest in wanting to learn to make and bake cookies like his auntie Jeannie. Maybe, even better than I could - and if you knew Michael, you will know that's how Michael is: he can do that too! I had made him a promise that one day after work I'll stop by his home and we will make cookies together. The day came when he called me to let me know his mother got the ingredients ready to make Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. I knew then that I could not disappointed him, again.

When I got to his house, he and my sister had everything ready to make the cookies. Although my sister's kitchen does not have the big Kitchen Aide mixer I have at home, that did not matter to Michael because "we have a hand mixer!" While we were setting things up I was thinking of a way I could make this fun and interesting for Michael. It then came to me that we could have our very own "Kid's Food TV" show with pretend audience and camera. They loved the idea! So there we were around the Whyte family dining room table doing our version of Emriel or Martha Stewart TV show. We had a ball! The cookies came out great and all I heard was: "Auntie Jeannie, can we do this again?!" Now what have I created?

The dining room and kitchen was cleaned; cookies were eaten; and every one was happy and satisfied that we had a fun time. We may do this again I thought...

Last Saturday I had the occasion to talk with Michael on the telephone when he lamented to me saying,

"Auntie Jeannie, I want my own TV show!" (very long sigh)

I was dumbfounded because I knew he was serious. So what should an aunt, who wants to encourage and nurture this young soul do? Of course, have another "Kid's Food TV Special" but this time, as Michael suggested, we will video tape the show so he can have it to watch later.

Now readers, keep reading this blog because coming very soon to an Internet site near you is..."Michael Jay Kids Food TV Special"!!!

Baking With Katie

When you need a birthday cake that's a fruit cake...you ask Mommy (Ena); any other cake, that Jeannie.

Well, in January my brother-in-law and my niece celebrated birthdays. I would get the usual phone call saying, "Auntie Jeannie, I would like a Barbie cake for my birthday with..." and so on. Now this January 2007, I felt like an actress waiting for my agent to call me with a part in a big movie, because I never got the call! I am always happy to bake and decorate my niece and nephews birthday cakes. It's a wonderful way to practice my cake decorating skills. I though maybe Katie forgot to call Auntie Jeannie. Oh well! Life goes on...

I therefore asked my sister what's my niece plan for her cake, she did not know either until I had an occasion to be at my sister's home (Jacquie) along with my mom and other sister, Carolyn, and the subject of birthday cake came up. I shall try to dialog the conversation I had with Katie as best as I possibly can because I have never felt soooo...I don't know, but here it is:

I asked, "Katherine, what kind of cake do you want me to make you for your birthday?"

She replied, "Didn't my mom told you I got an Easy Bake oven for Christmas?"

"No." I said while in the back of my mind I was wondering 'what is an Easy Bake oven?!?'. I guess my this time you know I was not born in the USA, because most girls my age, at that time, would have wanted an Easy Bake oven when they were popular.

Katherine further said with such pride in a voice and I was totally not prepared for what came next, "Didn't my mom told you I bake my daddy's birthday cake and he loved it?"

"Noooo." I replied feeling a tad hurt because I thought I was the only real baker in the family. How dare her! I thought. My little six year old niece trying to take good business from me. Now she hit me with the bomb when she said,

"Oh Auntie Jeannie, you don't have to bake my birthday cake this year. I will make my own cake in my Easy Bake oven. Do you want to order a cake from me? The Oreo cake I know you will love it is $2.75!"

Even before I could catch the word leaking out of my mouth like invisible drool, with excitement an Easy Bake catalog was placed in my hand and a little girl, whose finger was pointing to the 'Oreo Cake' asked me, "Can you take me to the store to get supplies?"

"Huh?!?", was my reply. What else could I say? Her brother Michael shouted from the living room, "Auntie Jeannie you can buy cookies from me too...seven cookies for $12!!"

Banana Coffee Cake

Late last year I wanted so much to bake a banana cake when I remembered a recipe used years ago when I lived in Jamaica. It was a Banana Coffee Cake - a banana cake flavored with coffee. I increased the amount of coffee, however, using decaffeinated coffee. Well, it didn't matter much if it was decaf-coffee, it has intense coffee flavor and the sweetness of the banana made this cake a winner.

I gave a piece to a friend and her fiance, they like it enough to request the recipe. Dahlia, as I promised, here is the recipe. Post your results here when you have tried it.

Banana Coffee Cake
3 teaspoons instant coffee (I used 5 tsp)
1 cup butter (butter makes everything better)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup ripe banana (about 3)
3 tbsp hot water
1 1/2 cup sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Coffee Icing
2 tbsp softened butter
1 cup sifted icing sugar
2 tsp instant coffee
2 tbsp hot water

1. Pre-heat oven 350 F. Grease a bundt pan and set aside.
2. Sift flour and add baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, the mashed ripe bananas.
5. Dissolve coffee with hot water and add to batter.
6. Gently fold in flour mixture and one cups nuts until well combined.
7. Pour into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes.
8. Leave in baking pan to cool for 5 minutes. Completely cool on a wire rack.
9. Ice cool cake with coffee icing and sprinkle with 1/2 cup nuts.

Enjoy!

Bridal Expo - Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

This weekend I am planning on going to the Bridal Expo at the Broward Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The main reason, I am looking to see the new trends and to get inspiration for wedding cake decoration. Lately I have been drawing designs of cakes for patterns on china, flowers and dresses. I'll try to post a photo of one sketch I have do with the accompanying cake.

Have you ever attended a bridal show? This will be my first show. Let me hear from you.

This is the link for the bridal expo: http://www.greatbridalexpo.com/

Chocolate for Valentine's

With Valentine's Day just around the corner you maybe wondering what to give your honey. Most would be buying a piece of fine jewelry, or planning a quiet romantic dinner for two. Well, I am going with plan B, i.e. bake my husband, Jack, a scrumptious chocolate cake and brownies. He is not just my sweetheart, but he loves sweet with a little of his heart.

I came across a chocolate brownie recipe on Martha Stewart's website and tried it. It was absolutely delicious! Here is the recipe - it's very simple...

Fudgy Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for foil
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped (I used dark chocolate)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) (I used pecans and chopped white chocolate)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with foil; butter foil. Set aside.


2. Place butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir frequently, until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted.


3. Whisk in sugar and salt until smooth; whisk in eggs. Gently whisk in flour just until smooth (do not over mix). Fold in nuts, if using.


4. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached (they should form a ball when rolled between your fingers), 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely in pan.


5. Use foil to lift from pan; peel off and discard. Cut into 16 squares.

Note: Instead of dipping the dry measuring cup into the flour, spoon flour into the cup; then level flour with the straight edge of a knife. When lining the pan, press the foil neatly into the corners, and smooth the bottom and sides. If necessary, brush sides of pan with butter to help foil stay in place.

Make 16; Prep time: 25 minutes; Total time : 3 hours