Birthday Baking and Digital Scrapbooking
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I have great memories of the birthday cakes my Mum made me as a child. Mum still is a wonderful baker, and while I enjoy cooking, I don’t do much baking.
I have a confession – I have NEVER made a birthday cake for any of my children…..they have always been bought. My excuse is that I could not recreate the beauty of a Winne the Pooh Cake, Disney Cars, Me to You Bear or whatever the latest trend my kids love/watch on TV.
Reality is, baking cakes scare me.
So today, in preparation for my son’s 4th birthday this weekend, we “baked” together, because as far as my kids are concerned, melting chocolate is baking!
We made the ubiquitous Top Hats – are these a world-wide phenomenon? My son insisted in calling the marshmallows mushrooms (now there is a bun I would not fancy trying – mushrooms dipped in chocolate with smarties and sprinkles!).
I hope you can tell that he did these all by himself (!) – and we are taking 30 in for his class and teachers tomorrow, in case you are thinking we have to eat these all by ourselves!
We also made cornflake crispie buns with the left over melted chocolate
before we ventured into a new realm of baking adventures – decorating a cake!
I bought a chocolate cake and we proceeded to decorate it – much fun was had, and I tried to control my OCD by allowing him to help!
When one of my daughters arrived home – she proclaimed in amazement when she saw the cake “Mum – you NEVER let us bake a cake – but you have just made one.” I reassured her that I had NOT baked this, but just decorated it, which is closer to baking round here than usual.
Mum-guilt however is rearing it’s ugly head, and I think I really will need to do some actual baking for my daughters’ birthdays in December.
So todays Show and Tell is my ‘non-baking’ baking!- Not quite a conventional Show and Tell, but I hope you enjoyed it.
Here is the birthday boy – this is the digital scrapbooking card I have made for him.
I used Make a Wish and Spotty Dotty Alpha doodles by Kate Hadfield, and paper by Weeds & Wildflowers.
It is also my Dad’s birthday 2 days later, and here is his card, using Amid Memories by Lara Payton (the first digital kit I ever purchased, and still my favourite heritage style kit) and her new gorgeous Big Ribbon Alpha.
If you are interested in learning more about my Digital Scrapbooking, or would like to find out more about ordering a customised card or gift, please check out my NEW LOOK J M Digital Designs. I will be posting soon with some ideas for Christmas gifts and cards and a GIVEAWAY – your chance to win a personalised card/gift. Just click on my new banner below.
Regular followers of my blog will know I have taken several on-line photography courses. As a number of us are from Northern Ireland, we have arranged a meet-up to take a few photos (or a few hundred) THIS SATURDAY so watch this space for more photos coming soon.
So that is my lot for today, for more Show and Tell be sure to visit There’s No Place Like Home.
Cute, cute marshmallows!
Oh how sweet! He looks like he had such a good time in the kitchen!
Love the cake decorating too!
And the cards…are to die for! Just adorable as usual!
I’ve never seen anything like these marshmallows. My kids would love these. And at least you’ve bought birthday cakes! That’s enough.
yummy… looks delicious:D:D
Awwwwwwwwwwww, this is the sweetest Show n Tell ever! I loved every minute enjoying your photos and story behind it all. Lovely, just simply lovely. You’ve made some great memories here. Happy birthday to the sweetest boy ever. [except for mine, who isn’t anywhere NEAR your son’s age. LOL…like maybe nearing 40?!!]
My show and tell is posted now. Come by if you can find time. See you there! Happy Friday, happy show n tell day.
Those marshmallows are really fun, and great job on the cake! You can do it…the cake part itself is the easy part, you did the hard part!
Looks like the kids got you cornered to bake a cake next time. Maybe let them do it. my grandson loves to put things in the mixed and help . I use a cake mix and all you need to add is eggs oil and water, You just did the hard part of decorating.
It looks like your son had a great time in the kitchen and I’m sure it was better to him than any store-bought decorated cake. I used to buy my daughter’s birthday cakes as well but one year, she asked to make her own and that’s how it’s been every since then.
Great cards!
My daughter was easy as she doesn’t like cake! She likes cupcakes and those are so easy to make and fun to decorate! Your little guy looks like he had a grand time!
Manuela
I love your pages! My mom was quite a cake maker/decorater too. Hubby’s mom was professional. MY kids GOT to make their own cake on their birthday, from picking out the mix, and frosting, to mixing (licking the bowl/beater/spatula), baking, decorating (and cleaning up-with me helping). It WAS a big deal! I love those marshmallows! How neat! AND FUN!
omg, those marshmallows are seriously cute!
Scoot on over on the “never made a birthday cake” bench because I’ll join you. I don’t bake anything unless it’s for a holiday dessert. Otherwise, I just don’t. It totally intimidates me. I can’t even make chocolate chip cookies without either burning them or undercooking them.
All of our birthday cakes come from Wegmans and my kids are pretty grateful that I spared them a homemade one!
Those are so cute! What fun and great memories enjoy! Thanks for visiting my blog!
Hey, we live in the time of conveinence. I once baked cookies with my 4 year old grand by buying a roll of cookie dough and letting him cut it off with a plastic knife and place them on the baking sheet. He enjoyed it and it was a lot easier than from scratch plus with a short attention span, there was not much of a wait for the finished product.
Making memories is what counts!
Mama Bear
That is precious. Lovely scrapbook page too!
Happy Birthday to both your birthday boys! Those little chocolate “mushrooms” look yummy!
Baking a cake is not hard at all, trust me. It is very easy. If you can read, you can bake!
Blessings,
Gina
Baking is a thorn in my side. I grew up with my grandma baking every week…we always had home baked cakes/pies/cookies. I hate to bake! I think I missed the gene somewhere, but I just can’t stand the mess baking makes. Good for you to let him do all that with you!
What a wonderful birthday memory for your son! That is so much more than baking a cake. Although I’m sure that you can conquer learning to bake a cake–pssst- I’ve got two words for you–Betty Crocker- or whatever the brand of cake mix is in your part of the world:) Enjoyed your post!!
Linda
I grew up baking and cooking and love it! Congratulations on baking a wonderful birthday cake, it looks nummy! Happy 4th birthday Sam :).
Have a wonderful weekend!
Kathi 🙂
This is the neatest idea! My grandson ate all of my marshmellows today. But looking in the pantry for something to make. Wish I would have know this earlier. The are just wonderful, and the children made, and thats special.
Love your bake-no bake show and tell. Your son is so handsome…love that red hair. We wanted all our kids to have red hair, but no such luck. However a couple of our grandchildren are redheads! Your family is lovely.
JanMary,
What a pleasure to see your comment on my Show and Tell gifts from Wales…I think perhaps you are my first commenter from Ireland….I am so pleased…..
Your son is a darling little boy…I enjoyed the photographs. I’m not familiar with ‘top hats’ but think my grandchildren would enjoy making those…could you give instructions?
Please do come again…I plan to revisit and read more….Blessings….Betty
Oooh top hats. Not just for kids you know.
There’s a law, it’s written down somewhere and everything. It goes “crafty people don’t bake and people who bake don’t do crafts”. Although in saying that I would bet if somebody handed you a huge bag of modelling icing (like using fimo) and some food dye you’d turn out something fantastic.
I can bake, but I need to shamelessly pilfer ideas for things to do with the child because my brain just doesn’t work that way, I can never think of something fun to do.
Luckily I have books and lovely people like you to tell me about fun things to do 🙂
Hi! I am the one who posted on DST about new scrap blogs to read. Thank you for sharing your blog! I am definitely subscribing 🙂
I also wanted to mention that I forgot to link to my own blogs when I posted 🙂 My one on DST is my design blog so wanted to tell you about my others. My personal one with my almost hubby is https://ian-and-christie.com and my scrapbooking/crafts one is at https://ian-and-christie.com/craftychristie
Thanks again and I’ll be reading!
Hi Janmary,
I love your scrapbook pages, they are so gorgeous. I too, am terrified of baking cakes and that is exactly what I have to go and do. Right now, for the the 10 year old’s birthday, before I talk myself out of it.
Just popping in to say “Boo” – hope I didn’t scare you. But, you have a Halloween/October treat waiting for you on my Tuesday Blog today.