Cake Decorating Class and my new toy

For the month of August, I have been taking my second cake decorating class.  I love learning all these new flowers and how to make them.

Last Monday, I made my last batch of royal icing for class.  It must be beat using a mixer for 7-10 minutes.  This was my second batch of the day and boom, sparks flew and a weird smell came out of my mixer.  Oh no, not again!  Yes, I have burned up yet another hand mixer.  Confession time:  This is my fifth mixer that I have burned up.  I must bake too much or make heavy duty items that don't go well with a hand mixer.  After the demise of #5, I knew it was time to shell out the big bucks and get a Kitchenaid stand mixer.


Sam's Club had the best deal for a brand new one, but I really couldn't convince myself or my husband that over $300 was a good expenditure right now.  I searched Craigslist and found some good options.  Then I put out a plea on my personal Facebook for anyone who might was to sell their Kitchenaid.  I got so lucky, that a girl from our church didn't like it as it took up too much space and wanted to sell it to me.  Yippee, I was ecstatic!  I was like a child on Christmas Day (frankly, I still am)!

For $100 (much more manageable), I got a 6 cup Professional KitchenAid Standmixer.  That is even better than the one at Sam's Club!  I just picked it up today and I have been giddy all week.  My husband snarkly asked me, "You are THIS excited over a mixer?"  Men just don't understand.  It is the little things (or in this case 32 pounds of beautiful baking magic)  that matter.

I love my new toy so much that I hugged it!

I'm so excited to use it, that I might even forego a nap to bake something!

My new mixer couldn't come at a better time.  I have my last cake class of this session on Monday.  I have to make a cake and two batches of frosting.  I will be busy making cakes this weekend.

I am taking the Wilton Flowers and Cake Design class at Michaels.  I have loved to learn new types of flowers.  Some have been easier than others.  Below are pictures of some of the flowers I have made this course.

 Button Flowers and Pansies

 A very blurry (sorry) lily

 Rose buds

 Daffodils

 A blurry (sorry again) rose

 Apple blossoms and violets

Primroses

My entire flower stash for my cake on Monday.

I can't wait to show you my finished cake that I make on Monday.  I start my third class after Labor Day.  I'll have even more fun cake decorations to share with you then!

Off to use my new toy!