The Ingredients

I often think about what exactly goes into my family's food.  The choices I make, I make because I believe they are the best choices for my families health.  I'm not so strict and rigorous that my kids don't consume junk food or processed food, but I try to make those a very small percentage of what they actually eat.  That is one of the many reasons I started baking from scratch.

Please understand, I'm not trying to say eating cake is actually good for you, but if we are going to eat it, shouldn't it be the best it can be?

I must tell you, I'm a label reader.  I looked at the back of the cake box and there were things included in the mix that I didn't want to pay for with our money, and health.  Things like High Froutose Corn Syrup (HFCS), or Hydrogenated Fats (Trans Fats), and things that sound foreign to me like: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate.  Which is some sort of salt, I can figure that much out, but there are many things listed on a basic white cake that I'm not sure of what it is and certainly doesn't sound like food to me.  For example:



My basic rule of thumb is if it doesn't sound like food, it's probably not really food, or they would call it by it's name.  It's most likely artificial or imitation food.  Another rule of thumb that is easy understand is, when the food is closer to the way God made it, the better it is for you.  The more we processes it, the less it resembles the original food to our eye and to our bodies.  Another factor to consider is when certain elements that have been isolated out of the food, they may be missing certain key elements that make it viable to the body.  Vitamins and minerals, all work together in a complex way to nourish our being.  God made the apple with hundreds of components, not just vitamin C.  Sorry, I just don't buy that science is smarter than God.  We are just not that advanced.  If you would like to learn more about today's food and what it means, I recommend this great book by Michael Pollan- In Defense Of Food.

When I make food from scratch, I use ingredients that I can pronounce, and know exactly what they are.  Like flour, butter, eggs, milk, sugar, sea salt, baking powder, and baking soda.   All familiar, traditional ingredients, and guess what?  I feel happy putting these things into my food, it gives me a wholesome pleasure to watch them all come together.  I enjoy cooking, and I think there is beauty in the raw ingredients, the colors, the textures are all somehow soothing to my soul.  Not to mention, real food actually tastes better to me than the artificial food.  Not that the artificial food doesn't taste good, but side by side I can taste the difference, and so can many other people, I know because they they have told me!

I'm not perfect, and neither is the list below.  If anyone has special requests, I'm very happy to accommodate them.  :)  So, with no further ado, here ya go.

These are the ingredients I put into my cakes (depending on the recipe & availability of course!):
Unbleached All Purpose Organic Flour by Central Milling Company
Unbleached Cake Flour by King Arthur Flour
Organic Cane Sugar by Wholesome Sweeteners
Organic Large Grade AA Brown Eggs, Cage Free and Humane Certified by Kirkland
Organic Butter by Kirkland, or Conventional Butter with no rBST
Organic Milk by Kirkland
Conventional Powdered Sugar purchased in bulk from Costco
Conventional Food Coloring by Wilton, AmeriColor, and Adams Extract
Rumford Cornstarch from Non-Genetically Modified Corn
Rumford Aluminum-free Baking Powder, or 365 Aluminum-free Baking Powder
Pure Sea Salt from Brazil's Northern Coast by Kirkland
Arm & Hammer Pure Baking Soda
Hershey's Cocoa Natural Unsweetened
Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate Squares
Nestle Chocolate Morsels
Conventional Marshmallows (for fondant)
Conventional Non-Hydrogenated Palm Oil by Hill Country Fair (used only for greasing pans and fondant)
Organic & Conventional Lemons
Organic & Conventional Strawberries
Organic & Conventional Raspberries
Organic Carrots
Organic Oranges
Conventional Sweetened Coconut or Organic Dried Coconut
Conventional Unsweetened Canned Pineapple
Conventional Cream Cheese that is rBST free
100% pure Guar Gum by Now (for Gluten Free Baking)
White Rice Flour from Whole Foods Bulk Bin (for Gluten Free Baking)

A Chocolatey Celebration!!

Happy Birthday to Roger!  My friend Leisa contacted me, she was planning a surprise birthday party for her husband and wanted a special cake to celebrate.  This was a party to celebrate Life!  The other thing she wanted was chocolate.  Lots of chocolatey goodness!  So, I got to work on it.  I have been wanting to do a cake with stars shooting out of it and this was the perfect opportunity!  I made layers of Tish Boyle's Devilishly Moist Chocolate Cake from The Cake Book, and filled them with a Chocolate Pudding filling from her Brooklyn Blackout Cake recipe, and topped them with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting.  Then I decorated it all with my homemade fondant.

Celebrating you Roger!

Gabriella's Baby Dedication Cake

I made this cake for a friend of mine from church.  She knew exactly what she wanted and even had a picture for me to work from (of course I added my own touch too!).  I love it when this works out!  

I love baking for my friends, and I rejoice in each celebration that I'm asked to bake for.  What an honor to contribute to life's most precious moments.  As I make each cake and add fresh ingredients I often lift up the receiver and family in prayer, and even ask God to bless the celebration.  My prayer for this child?  "Dear God, I pray Gabriella grows in wisdom and knowledge, that she knows You and loves You all the days of her life, that she has a long and healthy life, and that she is a light in the world for You.  In Jesus Name, Amen"

The cake is a Gluten Free Vanilla 8" round cake.  With Billy's Vanillie Buttercream and my homemade fondant on top. 

Unfortunately, I had a problem with the lighting when taking the pictures, so this is what I have:

Fortunately, my friend Rachelle sent me these (taken by FORE Photography):

Have a wonderful day!!

Rusty's Rockin' Carrot Cake

After a month of silence, I've got some catching up to do.  I couldn't decide where to start so, I started with my most recent cake.  

My friend Russel is writing a cookbook.  He gave me this recipe to try out and it is delicious!!  I have made it a few times but this time I got some good pictures and I thought I would share it with you.  I made this yummy cake to show our appreciation for the local teachers.  With all the layoffs this past week, we had a community effort to show them some love.  I made two cakes, one for each school my girls are in.

The cake is 3 9" layers of Carrot Cake topped by a Orange Zest Cream Cheese frosting.  I pressed toasted coconut on the sides to compliment the coconut in the batter.  I hope the teachers were feeling the love.  <3

Lily's Gluten Free Birthday Cake

Lily's mom wanted a fun girly birthday cake for her daughter's 2nd birthday.  This is what I came up with!  It's a 9" Golden Vanilla Gluten Free Cake adapted from Tish Boyle's Golden Cake from the Cake Book, with my favorite Billy Vanillie Buttercream icing, and a fondant top.  The crown and wand are fun toppers.  She loved it!

Here is little Lilly enjoying her cake and toppers! 

Cardamom Crumb Cake

This crumb cake was so easy to whip up.  I made a few minor changes to the recipe.  At my daughter's request I omitted the nuts.  She was very happy!  I didn't have any oranges so I substituted lemon zest, and instead of butter I used olive oil.  You couldn't even taste it!    The lemon was very fresh and the cake was a hit with all my family!

If you want to try this recipe look in Dorrie Greenspan's book Baking From My Home To Yours on pages 38-39.  Or you can look on Jill's website (she picked this week!):  http://jillbert.wordpress.com/2010/12/21/tuesdays-with-dorie-cardamom-crumb-cake-my-pick/

Baby Shower Cake & Cookies ~ Bananafish Bubblegum Design!

 

A 9" three layer, Devilishly Moist Chocolate Cake from Tish Boyle's The Cake Book, with Billy's Vanillie  Buttercream, topped with a fondant icing.    I made matching onesie cookies to go with it.    

I made all to match her bedding- Bananafish Bubblegum, from Target.  So adorable!

Welcome little one!