It has been a busy week.  I got notice that I would have to shoot next week's cover of the G food section since my piece on vegetarian tailgating was moving up to the featured slot.  Thankfully, abuela was on vacation.  Some vacation - we worked our butts off!  There's a special place in heaven for grandmas...saints, all of them.

<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/veg-tailgate.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-496 aligncenter" title="vegetarian tailgate" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/veg-tailgate-259x300.png" alt="boston globe, g section" width="259" height="300" /></a>
<p class="wp-caption-dd" style="text-align: center;">Preview: Have to wait 'till Wednesday to see the real thing!</p>
After we finished testing the recipes and shooting the photos, we moved on to cake baking and decorating.  Shannon asked me to make a cake for her mom's 60th birthday celebration.  She found her inspiration <a href="http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1478089/purple-and-green-birthday-cake#order=124133&amp;albumId=8&amp;nextId=false&amp;prevId=false&amp;imageId=1478089&amp;imageESOId=859826&amp;fullUrl=%2Fg%2Fi%2F1478089%2F%2F&amp;fullSrc=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.cakecentral.com%2Fb%2Fb9%2F900x900px-LL-b96632ae_gallery6900561254536667.jpeg&amp;thumbSrc=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.cakecentral.com%2Fb%2Fb9%2F50x50px-ZC-b96632ae_gallery6900561254536667.jpeg&amp;description=Chocolate+cake+covered+with+fondant.++Fondant+daisies+and+gelatin+butterfly.++Thanks+for+looking.&amp;original=http%3A%2F%2Fcakecentral.com%2Fimage%2Fid%2F859826&amp;setName=Purple+and+Green+Birthday+Cake">here</a>.  Since I don't have a lot of experience working with fondant, I made vanilla cake with strawberry filling and decorated the cake with buttercream and fresh flowers.  Shannon's biggest accomplishment of the day might have been keeping the party a surprise, but mine was getting the cake to the location in one piece.  I didn't exhale until I set it down on the table!

<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cakes-004.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-493" title="tiered cake with fresh flowers" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cakes-004.jpg" alt="buttercream frosting, tiered cake, fresh flowers" width="365" height="500" /></a>

Emi is also celebrating today, but there are a few less candles on her cake.  One, to be exact.   Emi's mom asked me to make a smash cake with a pink elephant to match her invitations.  Can't wait to see how messy she got eating/ smashing it!

<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pink-elephant-001.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-502" title="pink elephant 001" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/pink-elephant-001-117x300.jpg" alt="" width="117" height="300" /></a>

<a href="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cakes-024.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-494" title="pink elephant smash cake" src="http://www.karolineskitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cakes-024.jpg" alt="first birthday cake" width="500" height="474" /></a>

Now, I think it's time to kick up my feet and have a drink.