Sugarella

Why do you say it's underbaked? Is it raw? Soft and gooey? Taste funny? The tester coming out clean means it's done, provided you used the tester appropriately. Please refer to page 1 of this thread for info about testing for a cake being done.

I have something rather similar to that which has a metal cup on it with a hole in the bottom; the cup is filled with dumpling batter while the whole mechanism sits across an open pot of boiling water. You work the cup back and forth with the dumpling batter and as it slides through the holes into the pot you get perfectly sized even dumplings. But yours has no cup so I'm at a loss....

She's tempting fate. I didn't notice anything Disney but the blues clues and thomas the tank engine are absolutely copyright infringement.... if she had in fact sold those cakes. You're allowed to do that kind of stuff at home for your own kids etc..... maybe she did them for friends or family and has those people to vouch for her if need be? I'm just guessing here...... Still, her website is a portfolio of her professional services and the photos would obviously be misconstrued by anyone viewing that she does make those cakes for sale. Personally, I think she should get those pictures off her website asap. Not for the infringment inssue, but for the simple fact that she is obviously a very talented artist and her site should be showcasing her work not her copies of other artists' work.

I don't usually get too adventurous with dressings because I always screw them up and make something disgusting. So my old standby is either olive oil or grapeseed oil and lemon juice, salt & pepper. But then I found avacado oil ! .....

Now....kick plates as pull out drawers I've never seen...that's a great idea. I'm more inclined to go with feet on my cabinets though so it all looks like furniture, but that's just my style. Don't forget about the few inches you've got behind your drywall..... if you did an insert similar to those old fashioned medicine cabinets that are built in you'd have an awfully terrific spice rack. (Glass doors) And yes.... go ahead and do it here. I'm sure you'll get all kinds of suggestions that'll be useful. I just came across Melissa's thread and I think I'm a bit too late to the game to throw ideas in there now that's she's getting started, but I love redesigning spaces. Hey....free advice doesn't hurt....... When you've got time, see if you can post a floor plan of the whole floor of your house, with dimensions please.

Ok.... I'm an idiot! (Yes they were in tupperware.) ~ Sugarella, wearing her dunce cap. Edited to add: For years, YEARS I tell you, I've been throwing out leftover whites since that.

I'm very sorry to hear this. But if you were given to the end of March, why pack up and leave today? The charges wouldn't be against you, they'd be for the landlord. And obviously the owners knew about this problem all along and rented to you anyways.... do you have a lease? Are you out any extra money? How bad of a problem is it with the fire codes? Is it something easily fixable, or something that wouldn't cost too much? If it's doable for a reasonable sum, could you bring the buildng up to code yourself and bill the landlord? (ie: take it off the rent) I hate to see you give up so quickly on this...I'd explore every option myself. But if it's very very bad then, yes, you're best to get out now. Regardless, chin up. It really is true that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it's just hard to find that reason when you're knee-deep in shit.

I'm very interested that everyone is using frozen whites for meringues.... I previously held some whites in the fridge for a day then tried to make a meringue with them and they just would not whip, even after adding a bunch of cream of tartar. So all this time I've never used whites that weren't fresh out of the shell; looks like I'll have to try this again sometime. Must've had duds that time or something.

D'oh! I read that wrong. Don't say frosting! Frosting: Comes in a can Icing : Tastes good See the difference? My filling ganches are usually made with heavy cream and are spreadable in varying consistencies and may have liqueurs or nut butters added; ganaches for icing the outside are made with sour cream and are poured. That's what I do, anyways. Here's my buttercream; I said earlier I'd post it: 3/4 cup egg whites (about 5 large eggs) 1 1/2 cups / 300 g. granulated sugar 1 lb. / 454 g. salted butter, softened 2 tsp. Vanilla Whisk whites and sugar together with a hand whisk and heat, whisking continuously, over the top of a double boiler until the mixture is HOT, about 130 degrees. Remove bowl and beat egg mixture on MEDIUM speed until cooled down, about 5 minutes, until the eggs are forming stiff peaks and the mixture and bowl are cool to the touch. On LOW speed, add butter in 10-12 additions until smooth and blended and mixture is light and fluffy. Increase speed to HIGH and continue beating for another 5 minutes; the volume will double. When completed, add the vanilla or any other flavourings and just blend to incorporate. -----> I use salted butter becaue I mainly do wedding cakes so I need the added life.... you can use unsalted but perhaps add a pinch of salt to the recipe.

I'm curious with the method with both of these.... are you cooking the whites with the sugar, or the sugar with the water, then using that syrup to cook the eggs? If it's the latter, that's a bit risky, food safety-wise. For chocolate, I don't bother making chocolate buttercream anymore....just ganache. Different recipes for inside and outside a cake. I'll post my buttercream later when I've got more time.

Is it a hot real estate market in your area or are for sale signs up for months? See if you can find what any of these homes has sold for lately, and then whether or not there was any updating done to them. That should help you determine what your home could be worth if you do the reno. If they're all considered starter homes in your neighbourhood, I wouldn't go spending a lot of money, because it'll still be considered a starter home.

Those look terrific! I love how you blended your colours. I'm particularly impressed with the green squares on the left, with the black veining being so distinct and not blending into the other colours like that. Did you apply the cocoa butter in layers and chill between coats to do that, or did you do something else?

Would you expect an architect to do a preliminary design for free? Thanks to the big box home centres this seems to have become the norm. Of course, with big box, you get the experience you pay for. A. ← Oh no....I was referring to somone giving an estimate for installing cabinets etc. if she takes in finished specs. That I think should be free.Oh no, designers don't/ shouldn't work for free! Sorry you misunderstood what I meant.

Er, no, actually. People who make cabinets and install them know more about their products than designers do. JMHO. I reread your post several times and I cannot tell if you want to design this all yourself or if you really want someone else to do it for you. I get that you want it to be different than what is offered at home improvement stores.....and yes their products certainly are common and ordinary, aren't they? How much research have you done already, and how close are you to knowing what you really want? I get the feeling you already know the look you're after....in that case you're best to skip the middle man and seek out a cabinet maker who will work from your drawings. I think you should try designing the kitchen yourself, then getting estimates to get the work completed. Nobody in their right mind would charge a fee for an estimate. And the upside of this is well is that if you do make any glaring mistakes with your design, they'll catch it and let you know. There's excellent software out there that you can use, provided you already know the basics of kitchen functionality. (ie: work triangle, etc.) You really should also go to the library's magazine section and check out all the back issues of the kitchen/bath mags.... you'll get tons of ideas and they do list sources and suppliers, and NONE of the stuff in those mags is from box stores.

Well, I found this one for $715! This is just a round 2 tier serving plate and not what you're looking for, but you might like the fact it's only $30.

I think texture-wise, angels would be like those chinese deep fried shrimp chips, and would just dissolve in your mouth on contact. Or like cotton candy. Taste-wise, they're probably just like milk and honey. Smurfs I think would turn grey and squishy if you cooked them; probably best eaten like sashimi. The Minotaur I expect would probably taste like month-old steak tartar that's been sitting in the sun. And I agree that dragons would taste like metallic crocodile. A few more..... Faeries.... the little ones that live under mushrooms in the forest, probably taste just like enobi mushrooms, only crunchy. Leprechauns.... probably gristly and bitter, sort of like what I imagine raw gall bladder might taste like. Trolls I expect would actually taste like avacado.

More love for Fresser here. After reading another thread and spewing food all over my computer I decided you're definitely the funniest person on here. Harold's sign is hilarious.... I wonder why the chef is running so fast with the cleaver when the chicken is just standing there motionless.....??

Uh -oh. Sorry if my story was upsetting to people. Maybe I shouldn't have written it. To clarify again though, I don't think the hotel condoned, encouraged, or otherwise tolerated the customer's behaviour. I'm not dissing the Empress, here. And in his defence, I think the bartender was just trying to warn me about avoiding creeps like that in the future or explain why I was targeted. I'm sure the bartender and other staff prior to this just saw me as a teenager eating her breakfast; nothing more.

When you mention that the workspace will be visible to customers behind glass, do you mean that your workroom will actually be an enclosed space so that you can control the climate in there? If that's the case, I wouldn't worry about coffee smells infiltrating the chocolate since that'll be made upfront in the storefront. At the same time, however, your storefront won't smell like chocolate, so it'd better smell like something! Coffee's the next best thing. I don't own a chocolate shop but know several other people who do so here are a few things to consider: You really should have prepared gifts/baskets and other packaged items that people can just grab and go. I know several chocolatiers who've sold triple or quadruple their volume easily just by having handy gift packs already prepared. I don't know what you do already, but consider signature ballotins for your truffles that are already packaged too.... although you'll need printed chocolate maps for each box. If you have a front window and plan on a display, especially is you do larger show pieces, you'll really need a cooling system for the display window and it should be enclosed andclimate controlled, just like your workspace. A few hours daily of sunlight will have you constantly trying to fix the mess! In addition to the coffee, you definitely must serve an authentic hot chocolate too, complete with homemade marshmallows. But be prepared for requests to sell the marshmallows on their own too. Hmmmm.... can't think of anything else right now, but the front window with the cooling system is an important one. I know 2 people who made the mistake of overlooking that when they opened their shops.

^^ Here you go.... works well for dummies because you can thin it or leave it thick depending on what you're used to using, and it will eventually dry solid all the way through. Depending on humidity it may take a week or so, but will be dry to the touch within a couple of hours. I wouldn't necessarily eat this stuff (gah!) but an awful lot of people use something similar as their regular cake icing, so it is technically edible, if not pallatable. Once dried out the dummy will be good for years and years. You can use butter-coloured crisco if you want a more authentic colour, or add some vanilla, or just tint it with paste colours. Dummy Buttercream / Practice Icing: 454 g. / 1 lb. vegetable shortening 2 kg. / 2.2 lb. confectioner's sugar 10 Tbsp. meringue powder 1/2 cup (up to 1 1/2 cups) VERY HOT water, depending Combine 1/2 cup hot water and meringue powder in mixer until powder is dissolved; add vegetable shortening and blend until smooth. Whip in confectioner's sugar in small batches until the mixture apears like standard american buttercream. At this point, you can use it the same as that type of icing, or if you're used to a meringue buttercream just blend in more hot water, a little at a time, until you've got the consistency you want. Unused portions ....... will likely outlive surviving cockroaches after a nuclear holocaust. Seriously though.....like any wet sugar that'll attract bacteria, either throw it out within a week or wrap it tigh in plastic and freeze for later use.

For fondant, just spritz the dummy with water and cover. It'll stay put, and can be removed later just by chipping at it. (or kicking it.... hehehe) Don't round the dummy corners unless that's the look you're going for. The fondant won't / shouldn't tear on the corners, provided you roll it out at least 1/4" thick. Use p. sugar to dust instead of cornstarch too.... kepps the fondant from drying out quicker and you won't end up with crackling at the edges. Do you want a dummy buttercream too, or are you just doing fondant?

I wasn't implying they tolerated it. I don't know if they get that sort of thing often but, from the bartender's reaction, they must. High class places don't always necessarily attract high class people. I'd like to go back someday actually, and have their High Tea. If I'm alone and accosted, so be it.... these days I know where to kick.

I, too, am awkward starting up conversations with total strangers. I do dine alone occasionally, but just keep to myself. Although I do notice stares from patrons and staff alike..... maybe they feel sorry for me and assume I was stood up? You've all had so many wonderful experiences meeting strangers....I had one occasion too but was not so lucky. It was in the Empress Hotel, Victoria BC, and I was there as a teenager with my Dad as he was attending a conference. I was alone at brunch, and decided to partake in their continental breakfast... 2 eggs, toast, cold withered bacon....all for the low price of $24.95. I decided to sit at the bar because I was alone, and sat there cheerily eating my grub and having my coffee. A man sauntered up to me and sat down, being a little too physically "familiar" if you know what I mean. After a few brief exchanges he just came right out and asked me how much for <blank> Needless to say I nearly choked on my food. I was a KID! I looked like a kid. He left, and the bartender then advised me that if I wasn't "working" I probably shouldn't sit at the bar. Then he needed to explain what "working" meant. I had also planned on going to go to their famous "high tea" in the afternoon, but decided against it and spent the rest of the day in my room instead. And to this day, I will not sit at a bar by myself, even as a grownup.

It would help if you mention where you are..... that'd get people in your area thinking about what they remember. American classic - to me that means fudge cakes, ice cream, and of course, apple pie. But then, what would I know?

I was not equating Crohn's disease with an upset tummy at all; I was talking about 2 entirely different scenarios, and yes, Crohn's disease is incredibly serious. Sorry you misunderstood.