End of the Day Zero Project I

Damn! I was only two shy of completing my first list!

47. Complete a coloring book - I guess I will NEVER complete a coloring book in my life. Oh well. I'm over it.

54. Go to the Aquarium of the Pacific* - We never got the whole family to go, and it's been cold here and there, so maybe later on when spring comes, we'll go.

 

But it's over, and now I can turn my full attention over to DZPII!

#74 DZPII: Take Cake Decorating Classes

#74 DZPII: Take Cake Decorating Classes

 

So for Christmas my Mom got us night classes at a nearby bakery for cake decorating classes - beginners classes! I was beyond excited because I've really wanted to go to the Micheals/Wilton classes, but the times were never good for my schedule.

 

But for four weeks, every Monday night, Mom and I would head over at 7pm and play with piping bags, star tips, buttercream icings, and of course... cake! It was a blast! So much fun - and my coworkers loved my creations I'd bring in the next day for them to eat!

 

  

 

Our (dummy) cakes the first class: learning about the different kinds of piping tips and how to ice the cake. The very beginning to cake decorating....
 

On the second class we had to bring two 8" round cakes in the pans, and icing for them, in whatever colors we wanted. Mom wanted to work on her buttercream roses, but it was unfortunatly too warm, so a couple of them drooped... I waited till the end to do my roses, but ran out of time: took so long on my scalloped border around the cake! So no roses on that cake!

 

 

The third was learning how to create a cupcake bouquet! These are fun and fast! Just takes 19 cupcakes to make a flower bouquet or a special scene for your celebration! I worked on a Cars themed bouquet (for Ryan's 2nd birthday coming up), and Mom worked on flowers!

 

 

The last class was on character cakes. I've had my Hello Kitty cake pan for several years, and never baked from it because I didn't know how to decorate her! And Mom was inspired by Ryan's 2nd birthday theme: Cars!

#64 DZPII: Make Homemade Pretzels

#64 DZPII: Make Homemade Pretzels

 

My first job out of high school was at the mall... so needless to say I love me some mall food. And good old Auntie Anne's is always there and a pretzel was waiting for me... with a side of cheese sauce! I've missed Anne's since I left the mall, but everytime I felt the need to "physically shop" (instead of my prowlings on the internet) I head to the mall... and the pretzels are still there.

 

 

But I've always thought I'd venture out of the comfort-zone of cupcakes and cookies, and bake something else... something bread-like... something like PRETZELS!

 

 

Recipe adapted from Daily Savings

 

Ingredients:

-1 teaspoon sugar
-1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
-3/4 cup all-purpose flour
-1/4 cup baking soda
-1/4 cup coarse salt

Directions:
1. Stir 1 cup warm water (105°F to 110°F), yeast, sugar and salt in an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Set aside until yeast has dissolved and mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes. Stir in both flours, set mixer speed to medium and knead with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (Or, mix with a wooden spoon and knead by hand.) Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Oil 2 large baking sheets. Stir baking soda and 2 cups warm water in a bowl until dissolved.

3. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; cut into 20 equal-size balls. Working with 1 at a time, roll and stretch each ball to form thin, 12- to 15-inch-long ropes. Twist each into a pretzel shape.

4. Use a slotted spoon to dip each pretzel into baking soda solution; place on a baking sheet. Reshape as needed. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove sheets to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes; transfer pretzels to rack to cool further.

Noah's Elephant Cake

Noah's 1st Birthday Elephant Cake!

 

 

So during my cake classes, I've been a maniac posting my cakes/cupcakes on all the social medias. I even posted a status update asking if anyone wanted a cake because I wanted more practice... and couldn't keep taking them to work hahaha.... So an old high school friend contacted me and asked if I wanted to do a cake for her son's first birthday! (simply for practice of course *wink*) So I accepted and took off on Wilton.com to look for ideas. 

 

Noah's theme was 'Elegant Elephants' so I found this elephant cake which used the teddy-bear pan. I've never done a "character" cake before, but what a great time to try! I read up on the "how-to" and I figured I could do it! 

 

Because I needed roll-out/sugar cookies for the ears and trunk of the elephant, I also cut out his name and used the color flow technique, which I also never done, but really wanted to do!

 

It was a lot of fun and good practice putting the cake together and it was even better that I got to catch up with an old friend and her little one!

 



 

#99 DZP: Identify 100 things that make me happy

This took me a long time, but I finished it....
 

1. Ryan (enough said but I’ll continue)

2. Ultrasound pictures of Ryan

3. Ryan's giggle & laughter

4. My Baby blanket

5. My Baby Peanut charm

6. Ryan's bath time

7. Ryan giving kisses and hugs to me

8. Walks to the park with Ryan

9. Ryan's baby smell

10. Clothes shopping for Ryan

11. My Parents

12. My Girlfriends – my sisters from other misters

13. Audrey Hepburn

14. My Kitties: Tilly & Chibi (RIP Chibi)

15. Ginger Puppy (RIP Ging)

16. Colorguard

17. My Maneki Neko (Japanese Lucky Cat) Collection

18. Hello Kitty

19. Photo albums

20. (Completed) Scrapbooks

21.  Yearly camping trip with family and friends

22. Kisses and hugs for no reason

23. Teddy Pendagrass' "In My Time" song

24. Beyonce's "Love On Top" song

25. Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger" song

26. Mom's Chicken Noodle Soup

27. My Aunt Judy's Beef Stroganoff

28. Dad’s Golly-Whoppers

29. Grandma's Macaroni Salad

30. Alex grilling me a steak

31. Eggs and Rice Meal

32. Baking

33. French Vanilla Ice Cream

34. Hot chocolate when it rains

35. Smell of chocolate chip cookies in my kitchen

36. Scotchmallows from See's Candy

37. Mochi at New Years

38. Sunday morning waffles (or anytime!)

39. Root beer ice cream floats

40. Homemade fresh tortillas

41. Spaghetti meals

42. "How I Met Your Mother"

43. Cheesecake

44. Cake pops
45. Starbucks Mocha Fraps
46. Stella Rose
47. Barefoot Bubbly champagne
48. Going to the Japanese grocery store
49. Steel Magnolias the movie
50. Sex & the City Series

51. Harry Potter (books & movies)

52. The Twilight Saga
53. Hunger Games Trilogy
54. Fifty Shades Trilogy
55. Lauren Conrad’s LA Candy books

56. Food Network channel

57. “New Girl”

58. "Iron Chef America"

59. Any "Bones" Episode

60. Tiffany's Blue Boxes (hopefully with something shiny in them)

61. Juicy Couture Charms (for my collection)

62. My purse collection

63.  My iPhone

64. New car smell
65. Fresh flowers
66. Orchids
67. My KitchenAid Red Mixer "Big Red"
68. Dolphins & other marine life
69. Surprise birthday parties (for anyone or myself)
70. Boat rides

71. Sand between my toes

72. Sleeping in the middle of the day
73. Playing Yahtzee (and hopefully winning)
74. Backyard BBQs

75. Massages at Burke Williams

76. "Good Morning" texts
77.  Fireworks
78. Poolside fun
79. Bubble baths
80. Falling asleep in the car (comfortably)

81. Fresh mani/pedi nails

82. Salon haircuts

83. Head massages

84. Hotel suite rooms

85. Tropical breezes

86. Helmet dives

87. Shipping boxes outside my front door

88. A clean house

89. Swinging in a hammock

90. Jamba Juice
91. Completing a DZP goal
92. “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas” song
93. Tamales
94. Mimi’s muffins

95. Completed craft projects

96. Yorkie puppies
97. Farmer’s Markets
98. Disneyland
99. Calla Lilies

100. Alejandro (he really does make me happy lol)

#33 DZP II: Meet Beck Michael Phillips

#33 DZP II: Meet Beck Michael Phillips

 

 

I finally met the little guy!

Beck took his first plane ride from Ohio all the way out west to Cali, where Beck's Daddy is originally from. Mommy and Daddy are old friends of mine, and Beck's Mommy & I are practically sisters, and at one point in our Pre-Mommy-Status we were attached at the hip!

So when she was prego with the little man, I was completely thrill for them and Ryan would have a long distance cousin!

 

 

Now I knew he was a big boy, but he's a BIG BOY! He's almost Ryan's weight and he's got those lovable chunky-chunk-legs, and his parents hit on the nail: He can rock a Tank Top!

At one point I was holding Beck on my hip and when my brat took off from our table, I had to run after him (baby on hip) and picked Ryan up from his tantrum on the ground (baby still on hip), and proceeded to carrier both boys back to the table (both on hips). That was a workout!

It's Ryan second time seeing his Auntie Julie, but aside the temper-tanrums-from-terrible-twos, he did great! It was overall a great Sunday morning, and I was excited to see my best friend & her happy family!

 

 

Love him. Period.

2013 New Years Resolutions

 

Maybe this year it will happen...