february: use it or lose it

disclaimer: please forgive the tardiness. getting used to my new calling has taken longer than expected. i'm pretty sure my learning curve will be years.

february's commandment for my happiness project was 'use it or lose it'. i wanted to learn a new talent and use it, read a book on something new and just expand my knowledge in general. the first weekend in february the ol' gingerbread gang got together and took a cake decorating class. determined to learn tried and true skills rather than be subject to a thick fondant mess, i've wanted to hone my cake decorating skills for years now. i filled and decorated two cakes, lemon and chocolate. the lemon is pictured below, but the chocolate had a ganache and mousse filling. delish.

spreading on the raspberry filling.

adding a raspberry mousse and a layer.
cutting the sides to make it even.

quality control.
applying frosting over the crumb coat.

the finished product. granted, these skills appear paltry and that's because they are. but, i learned many new tricks and have a platform from which i can continue to learn. i'm excited!

as far as books go... i began reading the omnivore's dilemma. oh mama. another game changing book. i'm about halfway through, so the book report will have to wait, but it is amazing and has connected so many concepts for me in the food world. i'm pretty sure i am slowly becoming a hippie and this only supports the cause. read it!