The cake was a challenge.  I can bake an ok cake – usually.  But this one needed some actual structure.  Eeks.  (See Dave feigning concern, left)

After the 3rd head had fallen off and I was out of cake and had Stormie quickly whipping up a batch of Rice Krispie Treats to fill in (and by the way – if I had it to do over, the main body would be cake, all limbs would be Rice Krispie treats), I cried to Stormie, "What was I thinking?  Why did I think I could do this?"

She quickly answered, "I'll tell you why – Ace of Cakes!  That's why."

It's true.  I am an Ace of Cakes junkie, that's the main guy, Duff, on the left (see http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_db )  It is my favorite Food Network show (and by the way, I know one of the Food Network's fabulous cameramen and the next time he gets to shoot Duff and the incredible cake-making team, he's going to get me an autograph written in white chocolate…right, Greg?).  Anyway – these TV people are cake makers extraordinaire.  They create huge towering buildings and fire trucks and dinosaurs – all out of cake.  If something doesn't work out, they scrape it off into the trash.  I have to admit I was kinda wanting that experience and I ended up getting it.  The first time or two, it felt somewhat wasteful, but by the time I got that last new head and neck on and decorated – scooping off the junk into the trash felt good.  It felt very Ace, or maybe Deuce of Cakes.

If Stormie had not been there, I think I'd have crumbled in despair – much like the cake-head kept doing.  But we did it – we got it there – 3 cakes mixes, 4 batches of buttercream, chocolate chip toenails and white almond bark tinted some weird color for those pointy things on its back –  later… and Gavin loved it and everyone wished that I had done it in Rice Krispies.  Geez, people, you have no idea!

Blessings, Jeanie

NOTE TO SELF:  I think now I could master one of those Barbie-dolls-in-ball-gowns cakes from the early 70's…perhaps a teddy bear, or maybe even Michaelangelo's, David?                                                  

pictured: Gavin's dinosaur cake