Super, Fantastic, Amazing Cake?

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Several years ago I took some cake decorating classes with a friend from work. It was fun, and I learned some great tips. I have since made a lot of fun cakes for birthdays, holidays, church picnics, and random days of the week. Don't get me wrong, you are not going to see me on the Food Network anywhere but in my dreams, Halloween, or on April Fools Day. That said, I like to make my family feel special by making them cakes on their birthday.



Made these for a MOPS cake walk.

A long time ago, I learned that My Vet only feels special when I make a cake from a box, with canned frosting. To make it more festive, I get to go crazy and use funfetti cake and frosting. I always struggle with the fact it isn't complicated enough. Then I am reminded that I'm the complicated one, not him.



A just because cake.

When we were first married I asked My Vet if he had any idea where a particular dish was, his response was "I put it in the tupperware cabinet. Since tupperware has fitted lids, and it has a fitted lid. I figured that is where you would put it." (It was actually french white, oven safe, glassware and so it went in another cabinet. I could understand his thought process though, and loved that he noticed I had a system, and tried to figure it out.")

If I can be complicated on my birthday by requesting cheese cake, ice cream cake, or pie, my Vet should get to be straight forward and get a simple frosted cake. I should also be thankful that I get the easier birthday celebration to plan.




Retiring to a farm cake



Birthday Cake



Actually made this one in a countertop roaster, when my oven went out before Christmas!

Disco themed birthday party



Church picnic

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Debt Free Christmas: Divide and Conquer

This is the perfect topic for me this week. Our theme at preschool is "sharing and caring, how to be a good friend". It's also how to get through Christmas, Debt Free!

Have home parties instead of renting a space. I admit it, I have a hard time opening my house. I look at the photos on Facebook of my friends awesome homes and am embarrassed. Get over yourself! Your friends don't care if your house is a showplace, or not. They are coming to see you, not your house. That said, for me, it's also a good way to keep motivated to clean, or finish small projects that I've been meaning to get to. (Yes fireplace, I might finally be talking to you.)

Host or attend a cookie exchange. It is cheaper and easier to make dozens of one kind of cookie, than it is to buy ingredients and bake dozens of different kinds. It's also fun to get together for coffee and taste testing!

Invite friends and family to join in celebrating your holiday traditions. Things don't have to be elaborate. Don't expect your get together's to be like the ones you see on TV or in the Movies. Hot Cider and your DVD of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation; make Krumkak, Lefse, or another holiday favorite that works best when you have multiple hands; decorate the tree; go Christmas Caroling; load up the van and go look at lights.

If you are hosting, ask everyone to bring a dish. Ask them what they want to bring or make suggestions so that you don't end up with a table full of green bean casserole and nothing else. I like to ask people to bring a signature dish or something in their skill set. Since they are bringing a dish they might not feel the need to bring a hostess gift, that will end up saving you both! On the flip side, if you attend a party, ask what you can bring to lighten your friend/family's load.

I admit it is really hard to ask guests to bring something. I even live in MN where it's a pretty normal part of life, and I struggle with it. Ask yourself "would I want my friends to go into debt to have me over for dinner or a party?" Guess what, they will have the same answer as you.