These are not cakes. Or baked goods.

I love sushi. I also love marshmallows. One would think that there’s no way to combine the two; but you’d be wrong to think that. Seriously. Standard sushi is made from fish/veggies, seaweed, and sticky rice. My dessert version is made from candy fish/gummies, fruit rollup snacks, and the stickiest rice of all: rice krispie treats. I’ve made dessert sushi more than once for sushi-loving friends’ birthdays, but I think this kind of sushi is something that even the pickiest eater would enjoy.

Having made dessert sushi a couple times, it was time to give real sushi a try. My boyfriend and I made sushi for lunch not too long ago. We opted for cooked shrimp and veggies, because the thought of preparing raw fish was a little intimidating. Incredibly happy with the results, both in taste and in appearance.

A look back: My very first fondant cake

After watching too many cake shows on tv and saying to myself "I could totally do that," I decided to actually go ahead and give it a try. The cake, buttercream frosting, and marshmallow fondant were all made from scratch, with help from a friend.

We quickly discovered that making fondant can be a little messy if you're not careful, which resulted in the following:

Yes, that is half-mixed, sticky fondant on the dog's back. To be fair though, she was standing right underneath us. Perhaps she was hoping some food might fall on the floor? Well, I suppose she was right.

The theme of this cake combined my mother's love of baskets with Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October, in case you didnt know). I'm quite pleased with overall result, especially since this was my first time decorating with fondant. I plan on making another cake this coming October with a pink theme and will be sure to post the results. :)

Hello and Welcome!

cre·a·tive adj \krē-'ā-tiv\
: marked by the ability or power to create : given to creating
: having the quality of something created rather than imitated : imaginative

I am creative. This I know for sure. Since childhood, I have been described as such. Perhaps this was used by grown-ups as a way of saying I was a weird kid, an out-of-the-box kind of thinker… but you know what, I was. I am. I was the kid you’d find sewing clothes for her dolls- sans pattern. I was also the kid who decided to be unconventional about how to use a slide on the playground at summer camp when I was 6. Said decision resulted in the fracturing of my left wrist, and ending my days of ambidexterity; but that’s another story for another day. My point is this: I have a hard time following patterns. The same goes for recipes. I always end up adding something or tweaking it to make it my own. Because apparently I don’t want to do everything the way everyone else does. Normal is boring.

This blog is a way for me to document and showcase some of the creative things I’ve been doing in the kitchen. I don’t claim to be perfect; I don’t have any formal training in cooking or baking. My talent comes mostly from reading things online, watching too much Food Network, while thinking ‘I can do that’, and practice. Perhaps a bit of luck too.