BEYOND THE OVEN
Hello friends!! Sorry for the silence on this series front. I haven’t been up to much the past couple of weeks and couldn’t update you with nothing. But here’s a few things I’ve been up to!
We had a big snow storm two days ago after a series of 40 degree days. Despite being a crazy mess, it was actually beautiful once I made it home safely of course. I stepped out for a few minutes into it and took these pictures.
Despite how it looks outside, I’ve been obsessed with and enjoying smoothies lately for desserts. This paleo chocolate cherry smoothie is a new favorite.
This weekend I’ll be curled up on the couch enjoying two wonderful cookbooks. I pre-ordered both from Amazon and they showed up on my doorstep yesterday. Amanda’s (i am baker) surprise-inside cakes is one I’ve been looking forward to for months. She is my cake idol and I’ve learned so much about cake decorating from her blog. Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction has always been a great big blogging sister and of course makes drool worthy desserts. Her book is nothing short of amazing treats. I will share more after I read them both cover to cover.
On another note, since the last time we talked, I have watched the entire two seasons of House of Cards. If you have not seen it or heard about that show, drop everything you are doing NOW and watch it. It’s that good. Just know that you will accomplish nothing for the next two weeks. Right Jessica?
This new shoe collection by Sarah Jessica Parker at Nordstrom is going to be the death of me, my credit card and my poor husband. I want them all. Save me!!! These are some of my faves.
Talking about fashion, what are your spring must-haves? I am thinking I need a new spring blazer, a colored skinny jean and some floral tops. I’m trying to keep my list to the minimum so that I can afford one pair of SJP heels come August for a certain monumental birthday. After all, a girl only turns 30 once 😮
And talking about birthdays, today, we are celebrating this cool chick’s 13th birthday. Happy Birthday Miss Maddie!!!
Little tidbit why she is my dearest…Mr J invited me to her birthday party 4 years ago to ‘meet’ the in-laws after 6 months of dating. She has been glued to me since then (I don’t know why) and made that nervous meeting so easy. Love her.
For her birthday, I attempted to make a minion cake. Here’s what it looks like. By the time this goes live…I think I’ll be there already so the surprise won’t be ruined 🙂
Hope you all have a great weekend!!
Wow. Look at that cake. Wish you were in my family. I’m celebrity a big one this summer. 75. Will you come and bake me a surprise!!!! Great post. Love the snow pictures, too.
Helen, thanks!! I wish I could bake you a very special special cake. 75 is definitely a special one 🙂
such a beautiful cake!!! and yes I have been eyeing that SJP shoes as well..
Dixya they are so pleasing to the eye!!!
Love the minion cake. My daughter wants one for her birthday . Well done !!!
Thanks!! I’ll have a tutorial of how I made this in the next week or so.
As a recovering shoe addict i just scrolled past the shoes quickly. lol
Hahhaha Chichi recovering is the key word lol!
I am swooning over those shoes, and that cake looks fantastic!
The shoes are killing me!!
What an amazing cake Zainab! It’s stunning. It sure looks like a winter wonderland, have you got snow still?
Thanks Laura. Yes we still have snow, in fact it’s snowing tonight 🙂
Oh my gosh! Love the cake! Also, I texted you the surprise cakes book picture before I read this! Didn’t know you already had it!!!
Thanks Amanda!! I thought you saw it here lol! I read it and there is a construction cake in there that Brian would love.
That cake oh my God! You’re such an artist – give me your talent!
And Happy Birthday to Maddie! xxxx
Thanks Consuelo!! The cake turned out great 🙂
I am in awe of that cake! You are seriously the best aunt ever – and one talented baker! I haven’t started season 2 of House of Cards…I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop watching!
Thanks Cate! She loved it!! You should have seen her face. Made it worth the three hours of pain lol!! And she kept saying how special she felt 🙂 And girl, please start season 2. Things get roudy good!!!!
I love your minion cake! You are super talented! Is there anything you can’t do!?
Hhahah thanks Meriem!!
Oh my gosh Zainab!!! The minion cake turned out beautifully – it looks incredible and I absolutely love it!!! That was sooo sweet and nice of you to make this for your niece – she is one lucky girl to have such a talented and sweet auntie 🙂 My son’s 3rd birthday party theme next month is all about minions (he adores them and was a minon for halloween hehe http://lifemadesweeter.com/?p=3889) and I was going to make a very similar design except with little minions surrounding him with a base. Can’t wait to see the post for this or a tutorial – it would be super helpful for the fellow minion party planners 🙂
Man, those SJP shoes are gorgeous, I am not allowed to buy any more shoes this year but boy they sure do look purdy! Hope you stay warm and enjoy the rest of the weekend!:)
Thanks Kelly!! I will definitely work on the how-to for the cake this week. Your son will love the cake 🙂 I love his halloween outfit…he is so cute!!
It’s so funny you are not allowed any more shoes. I have been cut off for 5 years since I got those Manolo Blahniks for our wedding bahhahah! But I think my birthday counts as an exception lol!
Gorgeous cake! Being cake challenged I really admire your production, maybe in my next life I can be back with SOME cake baking skills
shoes – love them all. Unfortunately, one of the drawbacks of being over 50 is the inability to wear this type of heels. Those are now a luxury of the past. But, I think the whole game is to dance according to the music, if I cannot wear this type of sexy shoes, I find some other type that will still look good. Maybe not AS good, but still…. 😉
my weakness is and has always been black dresses. I won’t divulge how many I own, unless a lawyer is present. So there!
I LOVE those shoes. I need to find them asap! I am so done with the winter, I am ready for spring!! That cake, that cake! Beautiful job!
You have no idea..I am so done with winter. The sun needs to appear 🙂
I just finished the newest season of House of Cards. I watched it too fast though cause now there’s too much time until the Third. Especially since I hadn’t seen the first season yet so I did both all at once. As for this cake – holy impressed!!! Your cake skills are amazing which means you’ll have much better luck with those surprise inside cakes than I will. I just got that cookbook too and am having a hard time deciding which cake looks the least like I’ll pull my hair out doing.
That cake is AMAZING! You seriously blow me away with your talent.
awwww how sweet is that Minion cake!!! The snow is lovely and omg those shoooes!
(I’m so jealous that you have Sally’s cookbook!)
Oh I am on hold for cookbooks right now and am so jealous of the two you got. Glad you made it home in the snow. Not going to lie, I am glad I missed out on that one. Love your cake. It looks so amazing!!
What a fun cake Zainab! I’m sure it was a huge hit! Enjoy your new books – I met Amanda at the Minneapolis SITS conference – she is really nice! I think we are getting more snow tomorrow 🙁 I want to go back to Phoenix!
Deb, I would have loved to meet her. She sounds incredible. And sadly we have more snow today too. It’s a whooping 10 degrees lol!
Talk about being snowed in! You watched not just one but TWO seasons of House of Cards! I would’ve done the same thing and those books couldn’t have come at a better weekend. But what’s most important is that cake! Holy sheeze that cake is unbelievable! How many hours did it take?
Wow, your minion cake is AMAZING!!! Maddie is adorable and I bet she was super surprised! It’s always nerve wrecking to meet the in-laws, but I was lucky too that there were kids there that cuddled up to me and made me feel comfortable too! So sweet!
Thanks Diana!! She was so surprised she got an actual minion. I think she was expecting little decors on top of a normal cake. I’m glad to hear your in-law meeting went well too for the first time. It’s always so nerve racking lol!
Oh wow – that cake looks amazing!!
Glad I came across your blog – looking forward to following it.
xx Milana
Thanks Milana!! Thank you for following 🙂
GIRL! That cake is INSANELY AWESOME. Seriously, I’m just beyond impressed.
also – those shoes. Want.
OMG — that cake is amazing! So adorable and your replicated a minion perfectly. Maddie must have been absolutely thrilled. My husband just walked in the room as I was reading the post, and he stopped to look at the cake for several moments. And then he started talking like a minion, haha.
Hi Jamie!! Thank you very much. Maddie was thrilled and she is still talking about the cake. Your hubby is funny 🙂
OMG!!! I am behind in House of Cards …we are literally planning to watch the rest as soon as this long drive is over haha. But anyone who hasn’t NEEDS to watch it!! That shoe collection looks so beautiful! Looks like Sex and the City really inspired her taste. And as I told you while drooling over that photo of the minion it’s SO CUTE! Perfect execution!!!
I received those two new cookbooks but haven’t had a chance to look through them. I can’t wait to sit down and decide what I am going to bake first! And those shoes!! Nordstrom is one of my favorite stores ever and I could spend hours along in the shoe department.
The minion cake is so stinkin adorable!!! 🙂 And those snow pictures are beautiful.
I love these posts! Hopefully snowstorms like the one pictured are behind us, although it gives us an excuse to watch endless Netflix shows. I am watching House of Cards right now as a matter of fact!
I need to give House of Cards a second chance. I watched the first three episodes of the first season. It was good but it didn’t grip me. Everyone keeps saying that it’s amazing so I need to start watching again! That snow is insane. You’d laugh at what passes for “snow” here in Vancouver (we get maybe 2 inches a year?). Zainab, that cake! It’s amazing! I’m in total awe of your cake decorating skills. It’s a perfect lil minion. I hope Maddie went crazy for it and enjoyed every single bite.
Hahah for being in Canada you get lame snow!! But I envy you 🙂 And yes give House of Cards another shot. It will grow on you and you will be hooked on his evilness :p
OMG! I can’t believe you made that cake! It is AMAZING!