Change, Change Would Do You Good...

If Sheryl Crow's lyrics "Change would do you good" are any indication, I'm in for quite an improvement!  This week has been one of rapid change for me (and very little blogging!) in the other part of my life where work does not involve flour, sugar, and butter, and a sink full of mixing bowls and pans!  Today was the first day of the rest of my work life, the job I intend to keep until retirement.  I am the new Senior Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at Skidmore College.  It's an exciting new opportunity at a time when opportunities are few and far between, and I consider myself very fortunate.  Of course, this means leaving behind a department-full of friends, and that's the bitter-sweet compromise I am forced to balance in moving forward.  The good thing about this move is that I am still geographically very close to all those I've come to love, and though I won't be at the desk I've occupied over the past eight years, I'll be only minutes away. 

The weekend leading up to today's change didn't allow for a lot of dwelling on the new life I've embarked on today.  Nope.  It was all about the baking.  I had promised two wedding cakes to people, even after vowing that I was going to cut my cake-baking obligations markedly and actually find time to have a life outside my 9-5.  But, they asked...which is all it seems to take to convince me to contribute my efforts toward someone's special day.  The first cake was for a young housekeeper at work, who asked me to bake a wedding cake for his small wedding reception.  At first I told him I didn't have time, but later thought about it, and realized that I could handle it.  It wasn't going to be a huge cake...I could do it.  Then a friend of a friend called and asked for a cake the same weekend, and as long as I was baking up a storm, what are a few more tiers?  I baked days in advance, wrapping and freezing layers, and only removing from the freezer the morning of the weddings, when I got up at 6 a.m. and methodically constructed cake 1, and then cake 2.  Cake 2 required a bit of fondant work, and I did most of that the night before.  Anyway, cakes were crumb coated, frosted, stuck with dowels, stacked, and decorated in a flurry.  I loaded each one into my car and delivered them on time (if you were behind a cute little Mazda 3 going 10 torturous mph on major roads in Saratoga this weekend, that might've been me). 

Here are the fruits of this weekend's labor:



Cake #1



Cake # 2

I've never tackled two wedding cakes in one weekend before, and I won't be doing that again!  It's an awful lot of work, but it was worth it when I saw the beaming smiles on the brides' faces.  They loved them!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries for your Valentine!

I've made chocolate covered strawberries on different occasions, and people are just in awe of them.  It seems they have no idea how truly simple a treat these are to make.  Just make sure your strawberries aren't too ripe or they won't last long.  It's a good idea to make the strawberries within a day of serving them.

Chocolate covered strawberries are romantic.  They are big sellers, at a big price, for Valentine's Day.  They are not expensive if you make them yourself, and what a great impression you'll make, having taken the time to select the perfect berries and hand-dip them in melted chocolate.  It that doesn't indicate your love for someone special, I don't know what to tell you!

For lovely Liza's wedding a few years ago, chocolate covered strawberries took center stage. I made her beautiful cake, inspired by a photo in New York Magazine.  The magazine's version was a tiered and unfrosted carrot cake, the layers defined by a filling of sweet cream cheese.  Liza's cake was unfrosted as well, its vanilla layers filled with a chocolate buttercream.  Each tier was surrounded by an assortment of hand-dipped, chocolate-covered strawberries.  The variation of dark, milk, and white chocolate made for a beautifully adorned cake.

The Food Network has a very simple recipe and I've posted it here.  It doesn't have to be more complicated than this, so go buy some beautiful strawberries, some good chocolate (and use real white chocolate, not vanilla flavored morsels) and dip away!

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 pound strawberries with stems (about 20), washed and dried very well

Put the semisweet and white chocolates into 2 separate heatproof medium bowls. Fill 2 medium saucepans with a couple inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat; set the bowls of chocolate over the water to melt. Stir until smooth. (Alternatively, melt the chocolates in a microwave at half power, for 1 minute, stir and then heat for another minute or until melted.)

Once the chocolates are melted and smooth, remove from the heat. Line a sheet pan with parchment or waxed paper. Holding the strawberry by the stem, dip the fruit into the dark chocolate, lift and twist slightly, letting any excess chocolate fall back into the bowl. Set strawberries on the parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries. Dip a fork in the white chocolate and drizzle the white chocolate over the dipped strawberries. 

Set the strawberries aside until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Copyright 2003 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved 

Recipe and Photo Credit:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_26022_RECIPE-PRINT-FULL-PAGE-FORMATTER,00.html