Fling into Spring Watercolor Cake

Christos Anesti! Today was Greek Easter (I like to call it Greekster), and oh my god was it good to stuff my face and then sit in the sun! Everyone was just basking in it.... We literally haven't seen it in six months.. so glorious!!

I love Greek Easter because I love food.  Our table consisted of juicy lamb with garlic cloves, grilled chicken, spinach rice, corn, pastitiso (cheesy Greek lasagna), lemon oregano potatoes, Greek-style green beans, Greek sweet bread, salad with kalamata olives and feta, and wine of course!

We cracked eggs and laughed, as usual.. I love seeing my cousins who are like my siblings and reminiscing of our childhoods.. so much fun!

Then, we ate cake! 

Recently I found a blog post that showed how to watercolor fondant to use for cake stripes!  I thought it was really neat looking and so spring-like so I wanted to give it a try! I used gel-based food colors mixed with vodka as paints and just haphazardly painted all over rolled out fondant!  Then it took some measuring and cutting to make the strips which I then attached to the cake with a bit more vodka as glue.  You don't taste the vodka.. it dries odorless and tasteless!

I also created some of my own fondant flowers to add something special to the finished product! A ribbon around the bottom edges tied in all the colors.   This was a strawberry vanilla swirl cake with bourbon vanilla butter cream.

I really love the delicacy of this cake. The watercolor look is so different, and looks complicated even though this cake wasn't too hard to complete.  It definitely took some time though!

Cutting it is always the hardest part!!!! So happy everyone enjoyed it though!

I hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful weekend!! Tomorrow is going to be 70 degrees -- time for skirts and dresses at work! So excited! 

-Elena

In the Holiday Spirit

Well it is safe to say I haven't posted in a while.. too long, but tonight I finally got back into the kitchen to bake and it felt GOOD. 

The hustle and bustle of the holidays mixed with an EXTREMELY busy time in the generator industry makes for one tired woman! But I have been finding the time to decorate and get our apartment into the holiday cheer!

I absolutely love Christmas decorations and making a home feel super cozy during the holiday season.  One of our favorite parts of this apartment is our fireplace, and last January when I moved in I already knew I'd need to put lit garland on the mantle while filling the brick space with tall ornamental decorations that would really make the fireplace the focal point of the room. 

 

Our tree was a gift from my Aunt Denise who works for Bethlehem Lights. She is a seriously talented decorator who has an eye coordination and design, and this tree is absolutely perfect! It is a slimline so it fits the small space and truly glows with soft white lights and pine cones. 

Luckily, my Mom, Grandma and Aunts have been putting away ornaments for me for years, so this year I finally got to display them all and they are truly beautiful. The tree certainly represents many things I love, like baking, Ariel, Dr. Seuss, and vintage charm. 

Well along with the holiday season comes holiday baking and treats!  I had actually been outta the baking loop for almost two months and I was afraid I'd be a bit rusty but come on.. look at these snowmen!

Nope, not rusty at all :)

Tomorrow is my company Christmas party accompanied with a yankee swap and I just couldn't bare buying some stupid gift when half of my coworkers absolutely love my cake pops.. What could be a better gift?

This mixed assortment will be accompanied by a bottle of wine, one for me to bring and one for Louis! I am sure people will be fighting over these gifts! 

The two large snowmen are for my owner and my boss at work as a thank you for the generosity this holiday season.  I think they are a perfect gift! Don't you just love the little ear muffs! 

 

Almost done my Christmas shopping.. Excited for my brother and Marissa to fly home next week, and to have Christmas at my parents with my entire huge, loud family!

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas with the ones you love! 

-Elena