Cake Website

WOOT I finally finished the website, yes it is a work in progress and always will be with updates and new items added all the time.

We do not own our domain yet, but hope to over the next coming months. Business has really picked up we 15+ cake orders for the month of April which is sure to keep us on our toes.

This is our Website
Website address: http://ckcustomcakes.weebly.com/

We have now started to offer diabetic muffins and hope to add more to our sugar free list very soon!

Easter Shape Cookies

I have always wanted to try the icing that covers a cookie and turns hard, but it seemed to hard. I finally gave into my curiosity. It was far easier then I thought it would and they turned out awesome.

I used a simple sugar cookie recipe and they turned out to be the best sugar cookies I have ever made!
The icing I used is called cookie icing, it had milk, icing sugar and corn syrup in it very simple.
When decorating the cookies I learned very quickly that a little goes a long way with this "cookie icing" for the small details I used coloured butter cream icing. The cookies are both kid and adult approved :)

I think they turned out awesome and I can't wait to play with this cookie icing again!!!

Some of the finished cookies.

Donut Bites

The kids LOVE "tim bits", but they can get expensive over time at $4.00 for 10 so I decided to start making my own. We offer them as the cake business and I figured what better way to have them taste tested, save me money and keep the kids happy. Bossco ended up happy to.

Chocolate Mini Donuts with Chocolate Frosting

Banana/Chocolate Chip donut bites

I made 4 different kinds of donut bites and 1 kind of mini donuts.

Chocolate/Raspberry Filled Donut Bites

Chocolate Donut Bites

Banana Donut bite

Easter 2013 update on Owen

I love updates from Owens adoptive parents, I love the pictures and the messages and well just everything about them. Right now he has learned all of his ABC's and knows his numbers and is learning how to write them out. They are planning a trip to Greece again this summer to visit family and friends there. Last time they were there Owen was 6 months old and he loved it! He is enjoying his swimming lessons and did awesome at skiing this winter he can even go down the bunny hill all by himself. He has been loving hockey but says he can so faster in his boots then on his ice skates.




He is as always a photo bug, he loves his picture being taken and photo shoots!

There is not a moment that goes by that I don't think about him, miss him and love him!!!!

Lemon Cupcakes

I decided that today sucked. It started out with Butthead eating the homemade apple turnovers, homemade donut bites and a loaf of bread. So I decided that it felt like a Lemon cupcake kind of day because of the old saying when life gives you lemons :).

These cupcakes turned out awesome, they were full of flavor and even the kids liked them.

The cupcakes are lemon with lemon butter cream icing, white chocolate flower and a fondant leaf.

Large Treat Platters

At C & K Custom Cakes, we have decided to offer treat platters in small and large sizes for events, baby shower, parties, bridal showers etc.

Our treat platters come with options, you can have us pick the items for the tray or you can pick your favourite items for the platters.

This platter was done for a stag and doe. It had on it; Lemon butter squares, Confetti squares, Raspberry squares, chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Everything is homemade.

C & K Custom Cakes Facebook Page

Ribbon Holder from a basket

Success!!! I finally found something that is perfect for storing my ribbon that will allow easy access!
Baskets with holes in the sides allows a dowel to be inserted and the ribbon to come through the holes!

I love this idea, but I am still going to use my other ideas as well, the pant hanger for the tiny ribbon, the paper towel holder for the wide ribbon and the baskets for everything else. 

What you need:

Baskets that are shorter than the dowels you bought. (Got mine at Liquidation World $1.50 for two)
Wooden dowels. (Got mine at the Dollar store $1.00 for 10)
Tape.

Directions:

Place the dowel through one end of the basket to the other.
Add ribbon one at a time, pulling and taping the end to the basket.

http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207816815/

Ribbon Holder from paper towel holder

After figuring out that the pant hanger was only best for holding the tiny ribbon, I again begun my search for a storage solution for my ribbon that was easier to access than the tote, but held larger ribbon than the pant hanger.

Pinterest to the rescue once again, I picked up 2 paper towel holders from the dollar store. They were a great idea, but they didn't hold much ribbon, required larger holes in the centre of the ribbon and the ribbon got tangled around each other.


What you need:

Dollar store paper towel holder.
Scissors.

Directions:

Cut holes in the centre of the ribbon large enough to fit on the paper towel holder.
Slide the ribbon on the paper towel holder.

http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207816819/

Ribbon Holder from hanger

With making little girls hair bows comes ribbon and LOTS of it. I have about 600 spools of ribbon and was keeping it in a tote. The problem with keeping it all in a tote is you never know what you have and digging to the bottom is a really big pain in the butt.

I searched Pinterest for ideas on what to do and the first one I came up with seemed like an awesome idea!!
It works great, but not so well for the larger ribbon packaging. It works awesome for bobbin sized ribbon and holds about 92 small spools.


What you need:

A hanger that is used to hold multiple pairs of pants. 
Star screw driver.
Ting spools of ribbon.

Directions:

Use the screw driver to put holes in the centre of any ribbon that doesn't already have a hole.
Insert ribbon onto rungs.
Hang where desired.

http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207816811/

Oven French Toast

I figured this was a great idea we love french toast and I never get to sit down and eat with them because I am always cooking it, or everyone gets cold french toast.

I found this on Pinterest. The kids loved it, I wasn't a big fan of it.

This is what you need:

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

1 cup brown sugar

1 loaf Texas toast
4 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar for sprinkling

 

This is a link to the directions: Oven French Toast Directions

I will keep looking for a great recipe for oven french toast that both me and the kids will enjoy!!!

Ready for the oven

Fresh out of the oven

 

 Here is the Pinterest link : http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207123344/

 

R.I.P Sadie

I think this is one of the hardest posts I have had to do in a very long time. This morning we got the news that my moms dog Sadie had passed away durning the night last night.

After I had placed Owen for adoption my mom and sister got two puppies from a friends farm dog who had gotten pregnant. My sister got Rylee the brother and my mom got Sadie the sister. I always said they got them to help fill the void within them that me placing Owen created. They raised them together, I babysat them while they were at work or had to go away until they were old enough to go to the office. Sadie and Rylee loved the office they had a fenced in field and Sadie greeted all the customers at the counter.

Over the passed few months Sadie started acting a bit off, so my mom changed her food a few times thinking that was the problem. Over the past few weeks Sadie starting not wanting to got to the office and just stay home, she was not acting herself. Over the weekend she refused to eat anything mom tried some ham and potatoes and she did eat that but puked it right back up. Mom took her to the vet Monday right after work and the vet said she was jaundice and they were putting her on IV, giving her antibiotics, doing tests and going to keep her at least over night. The next day mom called and the vet said she was doing better with the IV, and antibiotics but had diarrhea. The test results came back that there was a problem with her liver so they did an x-ray and she had an enlarged liver. They wanted to keep her for a few more days and see how she did. This morning my mom got the call that Sadie had passed away in the night. They are going to do a postmortem to see what happened. Once that is complete they are going to send her body home so mom can bury her.

This is not an easy time for my mom Sadie was her baby, her everything! To us our animals are family and they are treated as family!

To say Sadie LOVED her ball is an understatement she was a ball addict and would play non-stop. Today we lost a beloved family member, may over the rainbow bridge be full of balls for her to chase.

This is a photo I took this summer when we had a play date with the puppies and Sadie!

Update: They completed the postmortem this morning, her liver was full of cancer. We had no idea :(. She will be cremated and the ashes will be returned next week.

DIY keyholder

Years a go Richard mom bought me a jewelry box, I do not wear jewelry and already have two jewelry boxes. It was not a big one flat on the back had hooks inside, so I decided I would use it as a key holder for the front door, while this past summer it kicked the bucket and while I have lost my keys almost twice a day everyday since then. A friend of mine "pinned" how to make your own from a dollar store pulled canvas block. I love the colour of fabric I picked it brings spring colours to my entryway. This is so easy when you want a change in style just pull the fabric off and put new stuff on!

What you need:

Pulled canvas block (got mine at the dollar store in the paint/craft aisle)
Fabric of your choice. (got mine at Walmart in the sewing second for 1.69)
Either glue gun or staple gun (I used a glue gun)
Screw in hooks

Directions:

Attach your fabric tight to the canvas block using the glue gun or staple gun.
Screw hooks into bottom of the canvas block.
Hang on wall, hang keys on it!


It works great, but I would never hang anything heavy on it.

http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207366907/

Business of Cakes

I have been making cakes for family, friends, etc. for years. I took half a cake class through Wilton and just didn't have time to finish it or start any other ones. I enjoy making cakes and other wonderful treats. I do it because I love seeing my creation come alive, seeing people enjoying something that I made and just the whole seeing someone smile from something I made.

One of my good friends from high school makes cakes as well we started the Wilton class together, she finished hers. We have been talking on and off again for a while about starting a bakery business together. While I decided that lately I have been getting so many cake orders from word of mouth from my friends telling other people that I should at least start a facebook page to get some word out about my cakes. By no means do I consider myself perfect at making cakes but I do enjoy it and seeing how I have been having so many orders others must be enjoying them as well.

After I made the page I figured I would ask Krista if she would be interested in doing cakes together. She makes nice cakes as well but some of her techniques need work, which is will come with practice and time.

I am working on a website at the moment and created business cards. We have had a lot of interest and plan to within 2 years to open our own bakery. We have an active facebook page with pictures of all of our work on it. My album is called Custom Cakes made by "C".

We are not able to offer peanut free at this time, but are working on offering sugar free, and gluten free as we get more established.

We offer much more then"just" cakes: pies, cookies, cake pops, cupcakes, mini cupcakes, fundraisers, cookie boxes, treat platters, squares, chocolates, mini cakes, muffins, dog cookies, breads, buns cheesecakes, and soon we will have a printer that prints edible images for cakes!

On our facebook page we have tip of the day, photos of our creations, question of the day and much more.
Please like us on facebook!! https://www.facebook.com/pages/CK-Custom-Cakes/306286412808261

Disney Number 6 Cake

I love last minute cake orders (NOT). I got a message on facebook Sunday night at 10:00 p.m to make a cake that needed to be ready for Tuesday at 3:00pm. Not much time so I figure she will just like something simple boy was I wrong. She wanted a cake that was in the shape of a number six, with figures of Disney dogs on top of to feed 40 people.

I did end up getting the cake finished, not to my standards due to the time frame I had, they loved it.

Krista, my partner, I am so grateful for she made most of the fondant dogs for the cake while I baked the cake and turned it into a number six.

There was one mishap with the cake Pluto decided to sink into the cake :( so I had to do emergency surgery to the cake :(.

The cake is chocolate fudge with chocolate icing. Total time to make this cake was 16 hours. Cake was ready by 1:00pm on Tuesday!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CK-Custom-Cakes/306286412808261

Can Organizer

I LOVE my cold cellar, mostly because I buy everything I can in bulk! The thing is the cases on cans take up so much room in the cold cellar and you have no idea what is in them until you pull them down hoping one is not going to land on your head or any other body part. I found this great idea on Pinterest the "pinner" used it in their cupboards but I figured it would work wonders in my cold cellar.
I never buy pop and I bought pop just to do this project.

What you need:

Empty long pop case.
Glue stick
Scrap book paper (I used wrapping paper, so much easier!!)
Labels
Cans
Scissors

Directions:

Cut a rectangle hole in the top back end of your box big enough to put a can in
Glue wrapping paper to you box (I wrapped it like a Christmas present)
Cut the paper so there is a hole on the front and cut the paper where you made the hole on the back
Put your label on the front

Super simple.

http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207386756/

Fruit/Veggie Cleaner

Fruit in my house ends up going bad before the end of the school week when things are out of season around here and I can not buy them from the market. While browsing Pinterest I came across away to clean fruit and veggies, but it did not say if I could use it on berries or not so I just left for about a month and then came across another "Pin" with the same idea but it said you could use it on berries as well. I figured why not give it try and see how it goes. Turns out it works the fruit lasted me almost 2 weeks!

What you need:

Containers
A clean sink
1cup of vinegar

Directions

Fill the sink with water and 1cup of vinegar
Add fruit or veggies (I did fruit and veggies separate)
Let stand for 10 minutes
Dry and put into containers (I did not put the fruit back into their old containers I used my own)


Nothing had an odd taste and everything lasted so much longer. I will do this every week when I get home from shopping!!

http://pinterest.com/pin/24347654207658704/

Penguin Birthday Cake!

My mom's birthday is March 6, but her boyfriend decided that he wanted to have a surprise party for her!!
I offered to make the cake, but couldn't decide on a theme, my sister decided I should do penguins.
I loved making this cake not just because it was for my mother, but because I used a bunch of new techniques.
Before this cake I had never made penguins, molded rice krispie squares or used gel icing to make water.

Everyone loved the cake and thought it was super cute!

The igloo was made out of molded rice krispies, the penguins where made out of fondant and the cake was half chocolate, half vanilla. 

All because of this cake I have been asked to make cakes for AA birthday's which is awesome!! I am so excited.

Last Minute Baby Shower Cake

I don't mind doing last minute cake orders, what I hate is when the client wants a fancy cake last minute. I wonder if they realize doing a 15 hour cake when you get the order 24 hours before is not easy. Well I got this cake order back in October I think it was, they wanted was a half white, half chocolate, coloured pink inside, baby shower cake for the next day.

I am not proud of the way this cake turned out and have made so much better ones since then, but figured I would share this cake with you guys anyway. I would love to make this cake again but with more then 24 hours to have to complete.