Do alterations count as a hobby?

One of my hobbies is sewing.  As with all of my other hobbies, I become obsessive over whatever I am working on.  I have worked in theater for a number of years and have done costuming for several plays.  I got married in 2006.  I did all of the planning for my wedding and, because I am a control freak by nature and slightly crazy, I decided to make my bride's maids dresses.  In September of 2010, I was 9 months pregnant and decided I was going to make Halloween costumes for all of my nieces and a few friends.  It was absolutely insane.  My dining room looked like a sweat shop for a month and a half.  But, at the end, all the little girls ended up with costumes of princesses, Dorothy, and fairies.  I think they turned out beautifully.  Of course, I think they could have been better.  But, the little girls were happy.  So, that means things worked well.

I am now working on alterations for some friends and have also offered to make my niece's prom dress.  I get really nervous when working on clothes for others.  The alterations I did this weekend were for a friend going on vacation in a couple months.  The dresses looked wonderful on her.  But, as always, I am nervous that they might not have been quite to her standards.  Then, there is the prom dress.  I am loosing my mind with nervousness.  Pleasing toddlers and adults is one thing.  But, making a teenager happy, on what is one of the most important nights of her life, to date, is quite another.

Well, we shall see what my niece picks.  I am sure she will be beautiful in whatever she chooses.

Oh, Pumpple Cake!

I am obsessed with the Food Network.  I spend most of my evening television time watching food shows and being hungry.  One evening I was watching a program, which highlighted a bakery on the east coast called The Flying Monkey.  They made a cake creation called The Pumpple Cake.  Watching this show, I decided that this is a cake I could make.

A Pumpple Cake is a wonderful creation.  It is a pumpkin pie baked inside a chocolate cake and an apple pie baked inside a vanilla cake.  The two layers are then stacked together and frosted with buttercream frosting.  This cake is 1800 calories per slice and ridiculously good.

So, the first step was to make the pies and par bake them.  No problem there.  I cranked out the pies in no time and had them in the fridge before I went to be, Wednesday night.

Step two is to mix the cake up and put the pie into the cake.  This is where things got tricky.  I made the pies in disposable pie pans.  So, I cut slits in the sides of the pie pans and pealed them off the pies.  I then settled the pumpkin pie into the chocolate cake batter.  The remainder of my cake batter was then poured over the top of the pumpkin pie to cover it for baking.  Lesson #1 - Use 2 cake mixes or a double batch of from scratch cake batter.  I would have liked a bit more cake around the pie.

Baking took way longer than expected.  It was more than double the expected time, per cake.  But, the smell of the pumpkin pie in the chocolate cake was unbelievable.

It was then on to cake number two.  I repeated the same assembly steps for the apple cake that would be baked inside the vanilla cake.  The smell was wonderful.  But, it really took a long time to bake fully.

After a several bottles of wine and wonderful conversation with my sister-in-laws, the layers of cake were fully baked and it was time for bed, Friday night.

Saturday morning, I got up and made the buttercream frosting.  After the frosting was completed, I began the assembly process.

For some extra color, I put some sprinkles on the cake.  Lesson #2 - No sprinkles, next time.  The cake is nice and moist.  But, the crunchy sprinkles are slightly off-putting.

The cake was delicious.  I will definitely have to make it again, for a special occasion or by request.  It was fun to put together.   But, the layers are very heavy and have a hard time standing up once they have been cut into.  Lesson #3 - Refrigerate each layer and the final product until serving to ensure the cake stays pretty.  Letting it get to room temperature weakens the structure.

I will say that the cake tasted wonderful.  1800 calories well invested.  This cake ended up being a behemoth.  But, it is now on the list of my all time favorite baking projects.

So, what should the next baking project be???

I feel like a Keebler Elf

This weekend was a weekend for baking.  It was cold outside and I felt like making some fresh baked rolls.  I have not made home-made bread in at least 20 years.  So, this was an experiment.

When I was growing up, my mother would make a loaf of bread and a pie every day.  Granted, she was a stay at home mom.  But, I still have no idea how she found the time to do that every day.  That is one of my fondest memories from my childhood.  Our house would be filled with the smell of fresh baked bread and it would give me a warm feeling, inside and out.

Sunday morning, I got up and decided to make knotted dinner rolls.  I mixed up the dough, which was surprisingly simple.  Then, it was time to kneed the dough, which was much more of a work out than I remember it being.  The most challenging part was having the patience to let the dough rise thoroughly.  But, I survived that step and formed the dough into little knots, let them rise again and threw them in the oven.  After 10 minutes, my house smelled like fresh baked bread.

I was super excited to pull the rolls out of the oven, slather them with butter, and take a bite.  Sadly, they did not live up to my expectations.  They were okay.  But, not fabulous.  I think my water may have been a bit too warm because the bread didn't double up as much as it should have.  Or, I may have kneaded the dough too long, as the rolls were fibrous, not smooth.  It was disappointing.

But, that just means that I will need to give it another go.  I think I will try another group of rolls, this weekend.  We'll have to see how it goes.

And another comes out of the woodwork

It is sad when you have so many hobbies that you can't remember them all.

I have been involved in Speech and Theater since high school.  After high school, I coached a speech team, worked with H.S. One Act plays and was involved in community theater.  After checking my email today, I realized that I had to add One Act and Speech onto the hobby list.  I received my contract to judge a sub-section One Act competition in Paynesville, at the end of the month.

I'm very excited to judge.  I love plays.  I love how hard the kids work and how excited they are to perform and complete.  However, it never fails, every year someone does a play based on the story of The Ugly Duckling.  Sometimes it's ducks, sometimes it's frogs, sometimes it's people.  But, it is always based on the same story and, sadly, it is never good.

So, here's to wishing all of the kids in region 5A the best of luck.  I can't wait to see what they have to show us.

Oh, a crafting I will go...

My great-grandmother taught me to crochet hangers when I was 4.  I crocheted hangers and small square wash clothes.  With the passing of my great-grandmother, my crocheting ended.  Then, 9 years ago, close friends of ours found out that they were expecting a baby.  I then decided to crochet a layette set for the new little one.

So, I went to my favorite crafting super store and purchase yarn, a pattern book and an "I Taught Myself To Crochet" kit.  I spent then next several months making a green and white, seashell patterned jacket, bonnet and booties.  They turned out wonderfully.  Then came the blanket.  I completed the entire blanket without skipping the first stitch in my row.  Sadly, I ended up with a blanket that slanted to the right.  I was embarrassed.  I could not give that as a gift.  So, I started over.  The second time was the charm.  I finished the blanket with straight edges and was able to give the set as a gift.

That adventure re-ignited my love for crochet.  Since then, I have made layette sets for many of our friends, as they were expecting little ones, blankets for friends and hats and bags shaped like sock monkeys.  The sock monkeys are, by far, my favorite.

Even though I generally start my projects with a purpose, I have found that I have many half done crochet projects in my craft room.  So, I have made it one of my goals for 2011 to finish all of my half done craft projects and give them away or sell them.  I can't believe I didn't finish most of these.  The sets are so close to complete.  I am currently finishing a blanket for a set.  The jacket, bonnet, and booties were already complete.

Well, off to work on the first project of my resolution!

Beginning the new year

As 2011 begins, I have found myself reflecting on the projects that I have to work on and determined that I have a mental condition.  I have diagnosed myself with Hobby ADD.

In December of 2010, I finished my B.S. in Marketing after way too many years.  I now find myself thinking that I have too much time on my hands.  So, I think I need some new hobbies.

My current hobbies include crocheting, quilting, needle-point, gardening (very poorly), and canning.   This year, I would like to hone my skills in baking, candy making, wine making, beer brewing, and knitting.  I have decided to start a log of my efforts for my personal sanity.  But, I have a feeling that others with the same condition may find this therapeutic.  Together we can work our way through our condition and keep our loved ones sane in the process.