Easter

Here are some pics of the Easter festivities. Do you like the Peep Bunny garland above? I saw one made of felt and decided paper would be easier, faster, and cheaper: http://www.thesweetestoccasion.com/2010/03/felt-peeps-bunny-shaped-easter-craft-decoration-ideas/

Easter eggs!

These eggs are a little...different. More about them later.

Dinner was chicken meatballs with sweet potato, zucchini, and summer squash pasta. My sister was inspired by the sweet potato pasta made by Richard Blais on Top Chef All-Stars. The vegetables are peeled very thin and then cooked very quickly in a skillet with just a little liquid. Delicious!

Almond cupcake frosted with sweetened whipped cream and garnished with chocolate-covered almond.

I'm not sure what kind of plant this is exactly. Isn't it beautiful? My mom brought it over for us for Easter.

The aftermath of the cascarones! I had heard of these confetti-filled eggs before and was thrilled to find some at the local Walgreens for only three bucks. I had read that people often crack them over each other's heads to break them open. Unfortunately, these were quite a bit harder than I had imagined and I just ended up hitting my sister in the head with an egg; it didn't even bust open! I think it's because both the inside and outside were painted, which made them a little too...sturdy...for cracking over heads! If I make them at home at some point then I'll just paint the outside.

Here's more info on cascarones: http://www.highlightskids.com/Stories/NonFiction/NF0302_cascarones.asp

A Walk in the Woods

The natural world in spring is a different experience than in summer. It is a quieter beauty, more subtle. You have to look closer and pay a little more attention.

The lush greenery of summer is soft, rounded; the bright flowers' blooms zinging with life. In spring, I admire the spare geometric lines of the bare tree branches against blue sky. In spring, wildflowers poke their heads up tentatively through the leafy mulch; is it time yet? Is it okay to come out? I admire their delicacy....and their resilience! They shrug off a light dusting of snow or a little freezing weather. The first leaf buds on the trees, the first bunny sighting, the first butterfly of spring...I think I love them more than a hundred perfect summer blooms.

L'il Bear with a Kite

I made this cake for one of my sister's co-workers who just had a baby boy. I've really wanted to make a cake with a kite this spring and thought the cute little bear cub would be perfect for celebrating a new baby boy. I could have gotten my buttercream a little smoother and my piped chocolate "string" could be more even (a hazard of piping at 11pm, I think), but overall I'm very happy with the design. The kite, the grass, the bear, and the clouds are all fondant, in case anyone was wondering.

I'll post a tutorial for the bear in the next couple days! Happy Spring!