2017 in cakes

Lots of fun baking this year!

I had so many lovely repeat clients and a few fabulous new ones.

Can't wait to make our 30th birthday cakes this year!

2017 in review

2017 held a lot of new things for the Elrod's

-We went on a road trip in Norway

-Got ourselves some kayaks

-Bought our van Walter

-finished up our long list of hikes we wanted to do

-saw Katy Perry in concert

-I sold my leathergoods at a show

-individually both ended up visiting Texas

-went on about 14 flights each

-found out we're having a baby

we're quite certain 2018 will be the year we have the least control over yet so wish us luck!

2016 in review

2015 in review

2014 in review

2013 in review

2012 in review

2011 in review

2016 in Review

 

This year was a really fun one for the Elrod's.

Joshua has declared it his favorite summer yet.

 

in 2016 we:

-went on 21 hikes, most of those being backpacking trips.

-backpacked a 40 mile hike for 3 nights

-went on at least 7 climbing trips, including Smith Rock

-hung out in 6 states this year

-finally got to realize my potential as a wizard

-celebrated our 5th anniversary on Vancouver Island

-hosted 9 visitors: my parents, Nate & Stephanie, Katy, Erika, Rachel & Alex, Andy

-and we got to end the year spent with our family & friends in Ohio

 

We kicked off 2017 in Seattle by going to bed at 9:30 (technically we were still on Ohio time so 12:30) so we'll see how it goes.

 

2015 in review

2014 in review

2013 in review

2012 in review

2011 in review

 

2016 review in Cakes

 

2016 was a great baking year! I was commissioned for 8 cakes, one being a wedding cake. I had the opportunity to try out at bunch of different ideas and flavors (earl gray with currant glaze!) The above pictured cakes are only about half my cakes for the year. Excited to experiment with more volume and textures this year. Already looking forward to this week when I have a lemon curd cake due for a client!

Winnie the Pooh Cake
Chocolate tart
Earl Gray cake with Black currant glaze
Cocoa Brittle Cake
Fresh Mint Cake
Ocean Cake
Meringue Cake
Honey Cake
Baby Shower Cake
French Bulldog Cake
Birthday Cake
Wedding Cake



2015 review in cakes
2014 review in cakes
2013 review in cakes

2015 in Baked Goods

 

This year was also an exciting baking year!

 

-I was able to make 5 commissioned cakes & I was even paid for 2 of them!

Star Wars cake

Dino Baby shower cake

Wes Anderson Cake

Halloween birthday cake

Gingerbread House

-For some reason I was fixated on playing with meringues and really appreciate how easy they are but very impressive.

-Made some goodies from wild huckleberries and blueberries we picked on the mountains

 

 

Really looking forward to what I'll get the opportunity to create!

Maybe 2016 will be the year for macaroons?

and my goal is to get paid for at least half of my commissioned cakes.

 

2014 baking review

2013 baking review

21015 in review

This year I think we would label as a year of adventure!

-we went on a 2 week trip to Paris-Porto-Lisbon-Morocco-Seville-Madrid-Barcelona
-the summer started early in Seattle and we were able to go on around 22 hikes
including a week long trip with my parents to Glacier
and hiking the Enchantments
-we had 5 visitors: Nick, James, Whitney & Allison, Andy & Lauren
-we were in around 11 states this year, some being: met up for a girls weekend in Chicago, spent time in FL for a wedding, Ohio for another wedding, spend Thanksgiving in Bend
-we both turned 27 and can no longer say we aren't in our late 20's
-I am on reading the 6th Harry Potter book to Joshua and hope to finish them all this year, held 4 Harry Potter parties to force my friend to see the movies
-& celebrated our 4 year anniversary!

We can honestly say we have no idea what is in store for this year.

That is scary, exciting, and hopeful.

Thanks for a great 2015 & CHEERS to 2016!


2014 review
2013 review
2012 review
2011 review

2014 Review Baking Edition

This year I got to bake a wedding cake, birthday cakes, got published in a German Magazine and had the privilege of baking for all our friends and family. I made more ice creams (including one with mountain foraged huckleberries), finally got around to a naked cake, and got to make hand pies from hand picked blackberries.

Goals for baking in 2015 : I really enjoy the single serving items I created this year like the meringues and spelt chocolate tarts and want to make more of those this next year.
This year I'd also like to get a paid commission cake.

Thanks to all my taste testers!

food review 2013

2014 Life Review

 

I think I say ever year was a good year, but when I look back on the highlights it's hard to feel like it could be anything else. We had our moments of struggle but we were blessed this year and all they were was moments. Mostly I'm struck by how many things happened this year. We had our 3 year anniversary in Utah, we became backpackers, my brother and sister got to make it out to Seattle for their first time, my mom and another sister made it out for a visit, my pen pal since high school came out for a visit, we got to go home to celebrate 2 awesome weddings, threw a Cincy party in Seattle, both turned 26, took a trip to San Francisco, had campsgiving on the Oregon Coast, added to our checked off list of mountain hikes, and moved to a new apartment

 

It was full, it was busy, sometimes exhausting but this year I feel like we focused on being present. Not trying to find something better but leaning in on a moment, a gathering, or a conversation. Life felt more savory this year. Sometimes it was fleeting but we tried to notice that and reign it back in. Obviously it's nothing we've perfected but a good lesson to sum up this year for the Elrod's.

 

review 2011  :  review 2012  :  review 2013 

I'm in a German Magazine!

Awhile ago a German Magazine Sweet Dreams (dessert magazine) emailed asking if they could print my Grapefruit Curd Meringue Tart in their spring magazine. Uh YES! Fast forward to now and I finally got a copy in the mail proving they published it!

It's a beautiful magazine and I'm beyond flattered that they used my photo (editing out the wood background from a clear glass dish = kudos to whomever took that on) and recipe (I'm certain of it because I google translated the whole thing)

 

This is what the little medallion by my photo says:

Grapefruit Meringue Tart
successful trio of meringue roses and citrus zests crowns the fruity naschverngnugen* (nibble-pleasure or pleasant to nibble)

 *I couldn't find a translation for naschverngnugen so I asked a coworker that I knew spoke German, but had never really spoken to. He is shy and got a little red when he tried to find an American word meaning "nibble-pleasure." I found it quite fun :)

Also I was excited to see they rated it was :
involvement/difficulty: moderate

and it was the second most difficult one on the page, which I'm really proud of because that means it's a complex recipe that includes technique. I'm even more proud because I didn't follow a prescribed recipe for this dessert but came up with a lot of it and put the combo of flavors together on my own. Which makes this an even bigger deal to me.

 

Thanks to all of you for the support and encouragement you give me in pursuing baking. Your love got me to here and I couldn't be more thankful!

2013 Review

Happy New Year's Eve! Joshua and I have felt very blessed in 2013. God has given us so much and 2014 already has more of his blessings in view and we are very excited for them. Here's a look back at our 2013:

Skied on a mountain for the first time, we both celebrated our quarter century birthdays, and we celebrated my birthday in Canada, headed to Turkey and Italy for our first times out of North America, I biked in a 59 mile charity ride, Joshua travelled to Portugal for work, finally made it to the top of the Space Needle, celebrated our second anniversary with a day kayaking, took a camping trip to Mt. St. Helen's, I bake my first cake for a client, did an epic co-worker camping trip and hike, celebrated the twins 21st birthday in Cinci, continued exploring all our beautiful mountians, pit stopped at Las Vegas on our way to a Thanksgiving camping trip in Zion, and flew home to celebrate Christmas with family.

 

Thank you to all the visitors, family, and friends who made this year so wonderful!

2012 review

2011 review