Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Beware of great ideas and poor planning!

My mind is able to paint pretty pictures. My mind is able to come up with original ideas. My mind is very confident. It's also able to be pretty convincing. I do wish my mind and hands would communicate a little more.

Task on hand: my friends celebrating their 25th anniversary. We're invited.
I knew that.
I knew they were going to do this party, heck I was involved in the idea a year ago.
So they need a present right?

Thinking of presents the morning before the day.
Couldn't think of something nice but crazy ideas? Oh yes I can think crazy ideas.
I am going to bake them a wedding cake. (Hoot! Hoot! Yay! Wonderful idea! Clap clap!)
Evening before the party, no practice cake, no preparation, no shopping for ingredients. (Clapping and hooting dies down).

But you know....when they were getting married they had no money whatsowever, so they had a wedding with just the thrills and no frills. And I think I remember her telling me that they had no wedding cake. So this will be a nice gift right? (Aaaahh...) I am going to bake them a small one. Think three tiers. Hide an "envelope" inbetween layers, nice idea. (Remember, this is still my mind speaking).

Start by baking cakes. Ask DH to dream up dimensions for nice sizes. He did a great job.

Eggs in bowl. Break egg no. 5... and it is spoiled! Never ever encountered a spoiled egg. New batch. Bake cakes. Not enough cake to cut out the layers I want. Another batch. It's getting very late. Cut out cakes. With a knife. Ragged edges. (Well, there is going to be icing?) Make bavarian cream. Fill. Assemble. Dimensions are great, Hubs did a wonderful job.

Decide to leave icing till tomorrow. Two eggs left. Dig in freezer for egg whites.

Next morning. Stalling. Frantic e-mailing with friends (xoxo for the support, you know who you are!), what icing to choose? Narrowed it down to three: quick pour fondant, butter cream, marshmallow icing. DH advices me to go with something I'm familiar with so marshmallow icing it was.

Little did I know that I was going to come up with a fourth of my own: not-so-quick-pour marshmallow icing! Poor me! Had a glorious icing going, everything worked out great untill I decided to add the last minute tbs of butter...within seconds my peaky, snowy white, spreadable icing was reduced to pourable gooey mass.

Out of eggs. Out of time. Still had to get fancy-dressed too. And drive 20 minutes with a towering cake.

Time-management and planning ahead are highly overrated.
Did a quick practice with cake-scraps and pour icing. Hmm.
Go ahead anyway.
So I poured. And poured again. Ragged edges shine through.

DISGUISE!
Ribbon!

My mind went into overdrive. Ribbon! I need disguise! Ribbon! Where in the world is ribbon when you need it?
Christmas!
Ribbon.
I knew I once had some wide ribbon (shh don't tell but it has been used to decorate my front door wreath several years).

Holy Sh*t. It's gold! (forget about the cute li'l pink hearts sprinkle I bought to decorate)
Plastered some ribbon around.
Plunked the bride and groom on top. (Full force disaster pic... They look scared don't they? Holding on to each other like that).Frantically searched my wardrobe for something to wear (had 15 minutes to get dressed)....

Planning and preparation.
Yes.
I am sooooo organized.

17 comments:

  1. I love this post - it's exactly how I am ... only, don't beat yourself up - it's the most wonderful cake, and a fabulous present, especially for a couple who didn't have a cake at their wedding. You may not be the world's greatest forward planner, but you are a really great friend.

    Joanna x

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  2. Tante Pinck wil je gedag zeggen

    Nu weet ze hoe het moet

    groetjes mam

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  3. This sounds just like some of my latest baking escapades! It always seems that things don't work out easily when I am taking it somewhere, but when we are just enjoying it at home, it works out perfectly! I think your cake looks lovely, though, and I'm sure the couple was very happy and gracious!

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  4. Joanna, thanks so much! I can be either one: plan and organise to minute details or no plan at all. Which ever way the wind blows...

    And like you Deborah, I know that feeling!

    Hi Tante Pink! Nice to see you here! My mam takes good care of you both? Denk het wel hè?

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  5. I can relate! I'm with Deborah - my best baking occurs when I am home alone, rather than when I'm planning to share it. I'm still impressed with your cake though, and have to imagine that it was well received!

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  6. Well, didn't the Bride burst out in tears seeing this wedding cake ? Because of every reason there is ( as having you as her best friend )except for this cake not being perfect , because it is !!!!!
    It really looks great, but the idea, the love and the good thoughts that are put in by you are the greatest of all.
    And, well...if there is a little crack , false angle or what so ever (I cant find any )...its a symbole of a marriage that age. The only thing of importance is if it's still tasty...and I know for sure this cake is . Hope the marriage is still as tasty as that.
    Don't worry but stay like you are. Getting gray hairs of yourselve but everybody loves you !

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  7. I would be thrilled if a friend loved me that much to go to such extend to make me an anniversary cake. This is truly special and the cake topper is cute as can e. Bravo!

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  8. Now if only I can do as well!
    I love you when you're organized (lists out the kazoo).
    I love you when you have no organization (finger in the air, go with the wind).
    This cake and your friendship is what a good marriage is made of . . .
    Great cake!

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  9. Loved this post! Whenever things are not going well in this house I tend to say 'planning and preparation, that's the key' but I too can go either way depending on which way the wind is blowing so this made me laugh and to be honest the older I get the more I like the finger in the wind and asking 'which way is the wind blowing?'

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  10. Absolute kudos to you for even going there. What a friend. Truly! I'm such a freak about preparing for events I'm totally dysfunctional. Really. I completely overplan. I've never tried a wedding cake. Too chicken. Pat yourself on the back, girl!

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  11. beautiful..In spite of the worry you did a beautiful job

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  12. Brilliant! I can so commiserate with your situation, I've done that so many times (when oh when will I learn). How wonderful that you made such an effort for your friends though, and that's what makes it all worth while. +

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  13. I'M SOOOO IMPRESSED! YOU'RE A WONDER WOMAN KAREN!

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  14. WOW!! What a cake!!! How lucky the bride and groom!!

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  15. Hi,
    I am new to your blog, and have really enjoyed reading your posts, especially the one about Argan oil & the GOATS ;) I just came across a book about this oil and all its millions of uses. Let me know it you want the name. Also your picture of the blanched tomato is wonderful, so creative. Hope you will drop by my blog :)
    www.asweetpea.wordpress.com
    Erika

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  16. hahaha! vooral dat stukje over hoe het bruidspaar elkaar vasthoudt... hahaha! Geweldig!

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  17. I think your cake is lovely and I wish I had a piece right now. I, too, made a 25th anniversary cake but it was just for the couple. It was little though. Not three tiers. Check it out if you like!

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