Anjalee and me!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Killing Saturday

Well it's just us today, Anjalee and me.  Michael spent the night in San Fran with other Driscoll's employees on a team-building workshop, and I envy him getting an uninterrupted night's sleep in a comfy hotel bed :)  Last night was big for the little bubba, as I had a cake decorating class and left her in the capable hands of Cameo, our babysitter.  I came home to a happy baby ready for bed, which was pure bliss!

After she went to sleep I finished decorating the cake I spent most of the day baking, filling, and icing.  I was exhausted, but happy to have my first cake under my belt.  It's very cute, but I have a long way to go before I have a decent-looking cake I would feel comfortable selling. I think the cake itself, the classic yellow recipe from the King Arthur cookbook, and the homemade blueberry filling turned out very well. The final judgement will come tomorrow, as I'm giving the cake to Michael for Father's Day.


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Who wants cake?

Life has been pretty good since Anjalee was born.  I get to enjoy every moment with her and see every little new skill she masters.  We go on fun outings and visit our baby and mommy friends a couple of times a week. I am even able to nap or relax in the sun when she naps.  It's pretty great not having to report to work and being the boss of my day, at least as much as Anjalee will allow.

But as ideal as that sounds, sometimes I wonder what I have to show for my efforts at the end of those days.  No doubt, caring for a baby and keeping the house clean and preparing meals is worth a lot.  It would cost a small fortune to pay someone else to do those things.  But lately I've felt the need to do something that offers a more tangible product, so I've decided to pursue a long-time interest of mine.  Last week I went to the first session of a cake decorating class, and my goal is to learn the basics, see how I like it, and take it from there.  At the very least, I can use what I learn to make cakes for family and friends, and if I really love it, maybe I can build a home business around it.

While I don't think a beautiful cake is going to make agriculture more sustainable or reduce fossil fuel consumption, it does offer me a creative outlet and the challenge of learning something new.  And maybe someday it will inspire something I can do about those big problems.

I know that's asking a lot of a cake, but I'm optimistic :)